


Until Death...

by Rennaren



Series: Fleeting Dreams [1]
Category: Hakuouki
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Tags to Be Added as needed - Freeform, F/M, Mature rating for possible events in later chapters, Sannan-centric, additional tags to be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:49:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 43,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24259942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rennaren/pseuds/Rennaren
Summary: A Sannan-centric perspective on the events of Hakuoki, with an eventually somewhat canon divergent ending.
Relationships: Yamanami "Sannan" Keisuke/Original Character(s)
Series: Fleeting Dreams [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751221
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

Stepping out onto the engawa Sannan slid the door to the room he had just left closed behind him. As the sound of the drunken antics from within were muted Sannan let out a breath, his shoulders slumping in relief as he allowed his eyes to close for a moment. Taking several steps across the wooden planks, further distancing himself from the boisterous noise, he leaned forward to rest his hands on the railing that lined the engawa’s edge as he drank in the somewhat quieter atmosphere while gazing up at the night sky that hung over the courtyard in front of him.

Normally Sannan tended to avoid joining the others at places like Shimabara, as he generally found the usual entertainment there to be only minimally interesting at best, despite enjoying the company of his comrades in other settings. This time however he had been asked to come along with them in order to help act as a buffer between Hijikata and Serizawa, after the latter had for some unknown reason insisted that Hijikata join him and a number of the other members of the Roshigumi on this outing, as well as to help manage the elder man’s unpredictable temperament. After having dealt with the results of several of Serizawa’s other recent trips to Shimabara Hijikata had, reluctantly, agreed. 

Only a short time had passed since their arrival in Kyoto, and in that time the tension between Hijikata and Serizawa had been increasing rapidly, in part due to some of the incidents that had occurred during their journey from Edo. Nevertheless, as a result it meant that Sannan had agreed to accompany the others, and had been fulfilling his assigned role for the majority of the evening. At least until he had excused himself from the festivities, stating a need for air as he left the room and made his way outside, when the unceasing ruckus had begun to wear on him. 

Letting out his breath in a sigh Sannan straightened, folding his arms across his chest, he tilted his head back to better take in the stars overhead as his thoughts continued. Hijikata’s feelings regarding Serizawa were more than understandable. Especially as it became increasingly obvious that in spite of the connections and status his reputation provided them, Serizawa’s actions should he be permitted to continue in his position as the Roshigumi’s leader, would only serve to further damage the group’s already negative perception in the eyes of Kyoto’s citizens. Even the rules of conduct they had imposed on the group in an attempt to curb Serizawa’s behavior had proved insufficient as the man merely found new ways to flout said rules, and to manipulate their more impressionable members. 

The situation was nearing a point where unless something occurred to bring about a change, more drastic measures might soon become necessary. However there remained some question in his mind as to whether Hijikata and Kondou would be willing to carry out such steps, as both men were often far too kind for their own good. It was possible that a plan toward an alternative option would need to be pursued.

“…The sky tonight is beautiful, is it not?” 

The question voiced from close beside him, spoken in the dialect used by Shimabara’s geisha, caused Sannan to start slightly as his thoughts were interrupted. Looking over as he let his arms fall to his sides, Sannan’s eyes met those of the woman standing alongside the engawa’s railing, a short distance away from where he stood. The woman was nearly as tall as he was, and as Sannan’s eyes caught her amber ones, she bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement of his gaze, a demure smile crossing her lips as his eyes lingered before he reminded himself to look away. Continuing his study of the woman for a few moments longer Sannan noted the white collar visible under the patterned gray kimono she wore, and the way the flickering lights shone off the deep blue tones of her hair, bound up in its elaborate style. 

Recalling belatedly that she had asked him a question, Sannan refocused his attention away from the woman’s appearance, as he inclined his head in a slight nod. “Yes,… it is.” replied Sannan. As he spoke he half turned back toward the courtyard, as if allowing his attention to drift back to his contemplation of the sky, while still keeping his gaze fixed on the woman’s features out of the corner of his eye as he watched for her reaction to his politely reserved tone.

Several moments passed, allowing just enough time for Sannan to convince himself that the woman would likely turn and leave now or otherwise overlook his presence, based on his past experiences in similar settings. Instead to his surprise, Sannan watched as the woman’s smile warmed slightly, and as he watched she stepped closer lifting one hand to point toward one of the clusters of stars. 

“Do you see the bright star in that group of stars?” she asked, waiting until Sannan indicated that he did, before continuing. “That one is Orihime… and over there, that in that group is one called Hikoboshi.” The woman explained as her finger moved to trace the shape of a second constellation, allowing a few moments to pass after she had done so before looking over at Sannan. “…Have you ever heard their story?” 

“I believe that I have.” murmured Sannan nodding as he straightened after having leaned a bit closer in order to better locate the stars that were being pointed out. The names at least were familiar to him, enough so that he was certain he must have heard the tale at least a few times in his life, even though it might have been quite some time since he had cared to recalled the details of it.

The woman hummed softly, lowering her hand as she nodded, looking away after a moment toward the sky. “It’s just as well,… as the ending isn’t an entirely happy one.” When she looked back toward Sannan after a brief pause the somberness of her expression had faded, to be replaced by the same demure smile she had worn earlier. “Of course there are other constellations besides those two,… Do you know any of them?” 

Reluctant to appear unknowledgeable, Sannan turned his gaze back toward studying the sky, feeling that he ought to be able to locate at least one or two patterns among the scattered stars. Even though the heavens were outside of his usual areas of interest or expertise, there surely must be at least a few that he had heard about in the past and could recall. 

After they had talked for some time, the conversation gradually moved away from the subject of stars and constellations and toward other topics. As they spoke Sannan found himself surprised at the depth and scope of her knowledge, which was not only limited to the stars and their uses for navigation and the determination of times and seasons, but also included far more than simply entertaining stories and poems or gossip and popular topics of the day. It stretched beyond what he would have expected and thought necessary for her work. Equally surprising was the discovery that for a while now he had actually been enjoying their conversation. Something of his realization must have shown on his face since a short time later the woman paused in what she was saying to tilt her head slightly as she looked over at him curiously. 

“Did I say something unusual?” asked the woman as her brows drew together slightly, though a hint of ready amusement also curved the corners of her lips. 

Caught momentarily off guard by the apparent ease with which she seemed able to pick up on his thoughts, Sannan answered without considering his response as thoroughly as he ordinarily might have. “…No.” said Sannan shaking his head. “I was merely surprised. You’re far more intelligent than I had expected you to be.” 

A moment passed, during which Sannan had an instant to register the words he just said, but rather than being met with the annoyance or anger he might have expected, instead the woman’s eyes widened for a moment before her hand came up to conceal her lips as a burst of startled laughter escaped them. 

“…And it appears that you’re far less charming than I was beginning to expect you to be.” retorted the woman still hiding her smile behind the edge of her sleeve, though the faint laughter that lingered in her tone and the glitter in her eyes both conveyed her amusement clearly.

Sannan felt a momentary flash of embarrassment before it was offset by mild amusement of his own, at just how quick her response had been. Allowing himself a faint exhale, that was almost a laugh, Sannan bent forward in a slight bow. “My apologies. …What I truly meant to say, was that I have enjoyed our conversation more than I had anticipated.” 

The woman’s eyes softened before lowered them as she bowed in return. “As have I.” 

For a moment it seemed to Sannan that the woman was about to say something more before the sound of a throat being cleared softly nearby alerted them that they were no longer alone. As the woman turned to look over her shoulder Sannan saw that another geisha and younger maiko stood nearby. Having learned earlier that the woman was waiting for other members of her okiya who were entertaining in the room next to the one that the Roshigumi occupied, so that they could travel back together, Sannan assumed that these were the people she had been expecting. After the woman had indicated for her companions to wait for a moment, she turned back toward him.

“May I know your name?” asked the woman as she looked back over at Sannan, her eyebrows raising minutely. 

Straightening as he nodded, Sannan stepped slightly away from the railing he had been sitting on earlier while they talked. “I am Sannan Keisuke.” 

A smile curved the woman’s lips as she inclined her head slightly in thanks, before bowing. “Good evening Sannan-han. …Perhaps we shall meet again.” 

“Perhaps.” murmured Sannan, bowing as well. 

Watching as the woman left with the other two Sannan decided that, though he did not necessarily plan to seek a meeting out, he would also not mind if such a meeting were to take place in the future. As he turned back toward the room the Roshigumi occupied Sannan was greeted by the sound of a sudden cry, which he recognized as having been voiced by Ibuki, followed by the lower sound of several voices speaking at once. Sighing quietly Sannan reached out to slide the door open. It was apparently past time that he rejoined the rest of the Roshigumi.

Shortly after Sannan had returned to returned to the room where the others were that evening, the night had ended as it was late and the overall mood had begun to wane. Now several days had passed since then and he, Hijikata, and Kondo stood outside Serizawa’s quarters, having been instructed earlier in the day to meet there in order to discuss something regarding the Roshigumi. As he filed inside along with Hijikata and Kondo Sannan’s eyes swept the room, a faint frown crossing his face for an instant as he saw an unfamiliar man sitting before them, along with Serizawa and Nimi. 

Seating himself to Hijikata’s left Sannan focused his attention on Serizawa as he spoke. “I believe you called for us?”

After Serizawa confirmed that he had, Nimi began to speak explaining that Serizawa had come up with a way to increase the Roshigumi’s manpower, which was still lacking if they planned to become a powerful force operating under the Bakufu’s orders. As Nimi introduced their guest describing him as Yukimura Kodo, a doctor who was an expert in western medicine, Sannan shifted his gaze to the man taking in his appearance while Nimi continued. The doctor was an older man and seemed to be relatively unassuming, for all the status afforded him as a physician and one who specialized in western medicine besides. Sannan wondered just how the doctor was involved in Nimi and Serizawa’s plan to help build the Roshigumi’s numbers. 

When Nimi mentioned that Kodo had been sent by the Bakufu, Sannan felt a brief surge of excitement. If the Bakufu had sent the doctor to them, it could only be taken as a sign that the Roshigumi’s efforts were increasingly beginning to attract the Bakufu’s interest and attention, which meant that all of their hard work was in fact not going unnoticed. 

“The Bakufu dispatched him?” asked Sannan, his enthusiasm coloring his tone as he looked over at Nimi, while eagerness briefly shifted his facial expression. 

Nimi nodded in confirmation, beginning to explain that he had begun the preparations for everything some time ago. Sannan had a brief instant to wonder just what exactly the ‘preparations’ were for, before Nimi was interrupted by Hijikata. 

“When exactly was ‘some time ago’? questioned Hijikata, his tone suspicious, as he narrowed his eyes at Nimi. 

When Nimi reiterated that it had simply been ‘some time back’, Hijikata’s gaze shifted further toward the other man and it looked for a moment as if he were going to demand a further explanation, until Kondo looked over, shaking his head wordlessly to dissuade him. As Hijikata relented and settled back down Kondo turned his attention back toward Nimi and Serizawa. 

“So what is this excellent idea?” asked Kondo, both his voice and expression conveying calm, though Sannan knew Kondo must have been equally as curious as he was. 

Rather than answer, Kondo’s question provoked an unusual response from Serizawa. Sannan felt his lips tighten minutely in disapproval as Serizawa’s fan struck Ibuki’s hand harshly while he barked a dismissal, though the expression was too slight to be noticed by any of the others. After Ibuki left, muttering under his breath, Nimi resumed his explanation. 

According to Nimi the Bakufu had agreed to offer the Roshigumi financial support, and in return the Roshigumi were to work with Kodo Yukimura to further the doctor’s research into an unusual medicine that the doctor had procured from distant lands, which promised potentially miraculous results. When both he and Hijikata pressed for a further explanation of the medication’s effects, rather than allow Kodo to answer, it was Serizawa who spoke instead as a ruthless smile twisted his lips while he surveyed the trio of men before him. 

“…Why don’t we show them?” said Serizawa, pushing himself to his feet before stepping toward the door as the way was cleared. Behind him Nimi and Kodo rose as well, leaving no choice but for Kondo, Hijikata, and Sannan to follow suit.

Serizawa led them across the compound, to a portion of the Yagi estate that was largely unused. As they entered the gated off area, Kodo fell back to lock the door behind them, while Nimi and Serizawa continued ahead toward a small building. Pausing briefly, Sannan glanced over at Kondo and Hijikata as the three of them came to a stop outside the building. Then at a nod from Hijikata, he proceeded inside while Kondo and Hijikata remained behind to keep an eye on Kodo. 

Sannan entered the building coming to a stop as Serizawa extended an arm to block his path briefly before allowing him closer. Stepping past Serizawa as Nimi lit a lamp inside the room Sannan realized that this was where Iesato, one of their members who had broken the rules of conduct, had been imprisoned while awaiting his time to commit seppuku. As he, Serizawa, and Nimi stepped closer to Iesato, Nimi withdrew a vial filled with a translucent red liquid from his person. Offering the vial to Iesato, Nimi briefly stated that Iesato would have a choice, to commit seppuku or alternatively to submit to participation in an experiment by drinking the vial’s contents. 

Iesato barely hesitated before grabbing the vial from Nimi’s hands, quickly unstoppering it and tilting his head back as he drank down the contents. As Sannan watched the red liquid disappear down Iesato’s throat, he couldn’t help feeling a faint sense of dread mixed with eerie fascination. 

A moment later the vial fell from Iesato’s hands to crash to the floor where it shattered as Iesato began to scream. Watching with mute horror as Iesato’s unearthly cries started to echo across the compound, Sannan saw the man’s hair begin to fade to white as his eyes took on a reddish glow. His brow knitting as he suppressed a gasp, Sannan fought to make sense of what was taking place before his eyes. _…What-… is happening to him?!_

“Damn, what happened to him?!”

As Hijikata echoed his sentiments from outside, Sannan looked toward the doorway, just as Iesato twisted his head toward the voice as well. There was a moment’s pause as everyone stood unmoving, then Iesato let out an animalistic growl, lunging toward the open doorway with his hands outstretched like claws. 

Hijikata’s eyes widened as he hastily backed away, shouldering Kondo behind him and out of the way of Iesato’s wild lunge, while drawing his sword. The weapon barely managed to clear the sheath in time for him to swing, the slash enough to ward off Iesato’s second attack briefly as Sannan, Serizawa and Nimi exited the building. 

Looking toward Hijikata and Kondo as the latter drew his sword as well, Sannan circled around Iesato, working with the other two men in an attempt to surround and contain him. Feeling his heart race as the transformed man shifted his focus from Hijikata to the other potential threats present, Sannan sensed Nimi starting to draw his sword as well while he moved closer, though he still stayed well out of the way of the main center of battle. 

“Toshi! Sannan-kun! Don’t let him get out!” ordered Kondo, gripping his sword more tightly as he fixed his gaze on the crazed man centered among them. 

“Right!” agreed Sannan as he prepared to attack in conjunction with Hijikata and Kondo.

There was a brief struggle during which Iesato was wounded several times, each time managing to recover from his injuries almost instantaneously, before he was able to elude them by fleeing into one of the other buildings nearby. As Iesato disappeared from sight Hijikata rounded on Kodo, Nimi and Serizawa, fixing the three men with a fiery glare. 

“He was able to heal from those wounds like it was nothing,… How do we stop him?” growled Hijikata through gritted teeth, focusing in on Kodo as he spoke. 

Kodo hummed thoughtfully, his eyes becoming hooded as he studied Hijikata for a few moments while rubbing his chin, before replying. “…Perhaps you might have better luck if you were to behead him, or to focus your efforts on piercing him through the heart.”

Grunting in response Hijikata turned quickly, hurriedly making his way toward the sounds of chaos and fighting as Iesato had obviously located the other members of the Roshigumi, who had no doubt been drawn by his screams. 

After Hijikata had disappeared, Sannan and Kondo lingered a few moments longer, attempting to press Kodo, Nimi, and Serizawa for additional information. Barely restrained fury colored Kondo’s expression as he turned away from the trio, both he and Sannan hurrying after Hijikata, when all of the men failed to be forthcoming. They arrived just in time to see Hijikata’s sword penetrate Iesato’s body, piecing his heart, and saving Ibuki. 

As Harada called out a warning to Hijikata, Sannan stepped from the doorway, putting on a calm expression while raising his voice slightly in order to be heard by the gathered captains as he spoke. “Supposedly you can kill it by piercing it’s heart or by beheading it.”

A few moments later the red glow faded from Iesato’s eyes and he went limp on Hijikata’s blade, sliding off it to collapse to the ground. While Kondo stepped forward to make sure that the others were all right, Sannan went over to where Iesato’s body lay, kneeling beside it.

As he reached out to begin inspecting the corpse, Sannan noted that apart from the final blow which Hijikata had dealt, all of the man’s injuries had healed flawlessly, leaving no trace behind aside from the blood and damage that littered his clothing. The only other evidence of the man’s altered state was visible in his hair and eyes, both of which retained their eerie coloring even after Iesato’s death. Sannan felt a faint frown draw his brows together as he gently slipped one arm under Iesato’s shoulders to lift him up in order to take advantage of the moon’s light. Using equal gentleness he pulled one of the fallen man’s eyes open a bit wider with the fingers of his free hand, spending a few moments inspecting the reddened tone of his iris before letting the lid relax to its previous position. 

_…In spite of his having broken the rules of conduct his loss, particularly in this manner, is unfortunate…_ thought Sannan sighing quietly as he ran his fingers over Iesato’s eyes to close them before lowering him to the ground.

Standing Sannan bent to brush away some of the dirt that clung to the knees of his hakama, as Hijikata ordered Saito and Harada to carry Iesato’s corpse inside, and out of sight, before calling for everyone to assemble in the main hall. 

By the time that everyone had gathered, enough time had gone by for the adrenaline of the moment to have faded and for everyone to begin to wonder about and consider the potential implications of what had happened. As the captains and Ibuki began to trickle into the main hall they were accompanied by a low murmur as they talked amongst themselves and it took several minutes for things to quiet enough for Kodo to begin explaining the properties of the medicine that Iesato had taken after having set one of the vials filled with red liquid before them.

Unsurprisingly the others were visibly upset as they finally recalled that Iesato had been one of the number of men who had traveled from Edo with them. Shinpachi leaned forward angrily as he spoke, voicing his protest against having used one of their own members as a subject for the experiment. 

As the others debated amongst themselves Sannan let his gaze fall to the floor. 

Nagakura was not incorrect, the idea of using members of their own group as experimental subjects was,… disturbing, even more so given the madness caused by the serum. And should word of their actions come into more public knowledge, even though it may have been at the Bakufu’s behest, considering the already fragile reputation of the Roshigumi it would likely merit the group’s destruction. However on the other hand despite the support of Aizu in allowing them to remain in Kyoto, and that which Serizawa had obtained, the group continued to be in dire straits financially. Unless something were to change in the very near future, it was likely that even the few men that they had now would begin to seek other opportunities, where they could be more certain of receiving payment for their services. Additionally the support of the Bakufu himself would further the group’s reputation and perhaps even provide the means to allow them to sever ties with Serizawa and elevate Kondo into position as the Roshigumi’s sole leader. 

Sannan’s lips thinned as he pressed them together while considering the idea, the voices of the others continuing in the background of his awareness. 

If there truly was room for improvement in the ochimizu as both Kodo and Nimi claimed, there was a distinct possibility that the negative side effects could be reduced or even eliminated, not only serving the Bakufu’s cause but also providing the means of enhancing the strength and skills of the Roshigumi’s members even further. Of course such an undertaking was not without risk, but if he were to position himself to closely monitor the research, he would be able to make every effort to ensure that they remained as minimal as possible. And to ensure that neither Kodo or Nimi acted with undue haste or attempted to expand the scope of their experiments beyond those men who were already condemned to seppuku and agreed to become part of the tests. Additionally since Nimi was already so closely linked to Kodo’s work, an opportunity was provided to suggest his removal from leadership, in order to allow him to focus more fully on the research. 

Lifting his gaze from the floor, just as Hijikata was about to continue his protest despite Kondo’s murmured warning for caution, Sannan spoke. 

“…Considering our current standing, we cannot afford to ignore the will of the Bakufu.” He said, well aware that his words were likely to draw further protest from the others as he appeared to side with Serizawa and Nimi. Glancing over, Sannan noted the slight smirk that Nimi now wore, and carefully kept his expression neutral as he continued. “However if there is still room for improvement, I feel it would be wise for Nimi-san to step down from his position as commander, and concentrate on his research. So as to prevent a repeat of what just transpired.”

Watching as Nimi nodded along in agreement for several moments until his eyes widened with the realization of what had just been said, Sannan fought back the smile that attempted to twist his lips, instead making sure to keep his expression guilelessly innocent. As Nimi’s shoulders slumped, his protests falling silent at a look from Serizawa, Sannan allowed a pleasant smile to form on his lips. 

“Then Nimi-san and Kodo-san will conduct experiments on the medicine. I shall offer you my assistance.” finished Sannan, ignoring the irritation that was visible on Nimi’s face before he looked away.

With the matter settled, Sannan sensed Hijikata rise from beside him before cautioning the captains to keep what had occurred secret as he dismissed the meeting.

Later that evening it was without surprise that Sannan admitted Heisuke into his quarters, pausing long enough in tending to his sword after the day’s events to grant the younger man entry and see him seated along the far wall, before returning to his task. A number of minutes passed in silence while Sannan continued with what he had been doing, as Heisuke shifted restlessly nearby, gradually working himself up to what he had come for. Eventually murmurs of frustration, largely involving Nimi and Serizawa began to trickle out of Heisuke’s lips, finally after several minutes shifting toward the true purpose of his visit.

“Bluntly put, the Bakufu and the Aizu Domain want to use us to do their dirty work, right?” murmured Heisuke, sounding a bit despondent as he sat with his head hanging, staring down at his crossed ankles while speaking.

Humming in response Sannan inclined his head briefly, turning his sword back and forth as he examined the blade. “That is the extent of our worth at present.”

“Sannan-san, are you okay with this?!” burst out Heisuke, unable to contain himself any longer in the face of Sannan’s apparently unbothered reactions. “Can you keep your cool if one of your friends gets turned into a monster?!”

Closing his eyes for a moment as Heisuke’s protests continued, Sannan cut him off. “Do you think I am okay with this?” interjected Sannan frowning faintly as he stared at the reflection of himself in the blade of his freshly polished sword. 

Behind him Heisuke made a surprised sound, falling silent for a few moments before his shoulders fell once more. “…But then how come you’re going along with everything?” a faint note of desperation mixing with the confusion and frustration in his voice.

Sighing Sannan lowered the weapon to his desk, carefully setting it aside before turning to face Heisuke. “Todo-kun… It is not that I am simply ‘going along with everything’, even though that may appear to be the case on the surface. …I am also concerned by what has occurred,-…

“But then why?!” began Heisuke, his emotions getting the better of him once more, before falling silent at a look from Sannan.

“…However I also am aware of the complexities of our current situation.” Sannan continued, settling his loosely curled hands on his thighs. “At the moment we remain indebted to not only Serizawa-san and the Aizu Domain for their assistance but also, if we intend to acquire the further support we need from the Bakufu,… we have no option but to comply with his wishes. In our current position we have little other choice.”

Looking away Heisuke scowled as he sighed in frustration. “But that still doesn’t make it right.”

“No.” agreed Sannan. “But for now this is the most expedient course open to us. …You are able to understand that, are you not?” 

“Yeah…” muttered Heisuke sounding as if he didn’t understand at all, or perhaps more likely, that despite his comprehension, he still disagreed.

After a time Heisuke departed, leaving Sannan to the rest of his evening in peace as he continued his contemplation of the day’s events. He could hardly blame Heisuke for his feelings, as the actions being undertaken ran nearly counter to the Roshigumi’s ideals. At best Sannan felt he could only hope that he would be able to keep things from going too far, or taking a disastrous turn. If that did happen, then he prayed that he would at least be able to somehow keep the others from harm.


	2. Chapter 2

The long journey to Osaka, following Serizawa’s suggestion to arrest the rogue samurai there in order to enhance their reputation, left Sannan with ample time for contemplation. As he walked alongside Kondo and the others Sannan mulled over the recent events that had transpired, thinking over all that he had learned so far since the night that he and the others had first learned of the existence of the ochimizu. 

Since then he had spent the majority of his available time with either Nimi, or Kodo, and occasionally both men, as he attempted to find out everything they had learned so far about the serum and its effects, as well as catch up on the necessary knowledge in order to begin to comprehend the more medical related aspects of the research. No doubt it was due to his numerous questions, scattered amid attempts to dissuade the men from some of the more radical ideas for tests which were posed by Nimi, that the man had been persuaded to give him a copy of the research notes that he had made so far. He had barely begun to study the book in the time since Ibuki had delivered it to him following the meeting to welcome the newest recruits into the Roshigumi, but had still spent as much time as he was able reading through it, and occasionally comparing its contents to the partial translation of a western medical text which he had borrowed from Kodo. 

Thus when preparing for this journey Sannan had briefly considered bringing the book with Nimi’s notes along to continue studying it when he had time, but ultimately decided that doing so carried too much risk in the event that something unforeseen might occur, which would cause the tome’s contents to be discovered. So instead he had left the journal behind, hidden and safely tucked away in his quarters back in Kyoto. Still even the little he had learned so far about the effects of the ochimizu had proved fascinating and made him wonder all the more about the possibility of its use to strengthen the Roshigumi’s forces, should the flaws in it be corrected. 

As the group neared the outskirts of Osaka, Sannan shook himself from his thoughts, focusing once more on the present as he looked around them. Meeting Kondo’s eyes briefly, he nodded in response to the smile the other man gave him, before turning his attention toward Serizawa as the older man began to issue orders. After the group’s lodgings for the night were secured, Inoue and Hirama were left behind to tend to things there, while the rest of them split up to survey the city in order to find the exact location of the rebel samurai’s headquarters.

“Nagakura-kun and Okita, come with me.” ordered Serizawa as he strode away down the street without waiting to see if they obeyed, leaving the pair to hurry after him to catch up after receiving a nod of approval from Kondo. 

Once Shinpachi and Okita had gone after Serizawa, Sannan and Kondo exchanged a glance before turning to face the remaining members of their party. 

“Well,… that leaves the rest of us to check out the other parts of the city.” began Kondo putting on a smile as he surveyed the men assembled before him. “Saito-kun and Yamazaki-kun, I would like for you to accompany Sannan-kun and search the west side of the city.”

“Pardon me Kondo-san, but I believe that Yamazaki-kun and I alone will be sufficient for the task.” interjected Sannan, in the brief space between Kondo’s orders, drawing a faint frown from the other man in response.  
“Are you sure Sannan-kun?” asked Kondo, looking over to study Sannan with a concerned expression. At Sannan’s nod of confirmation Kondo hummed, then turned back toward Shimada as he continued. “Very well, then Shimada-kun, you will join Saito-kun and I in searching the northern part of the city.” 

“Sir!” responded Shimada, bowing.

As Shimada moved to join Saito beside Kondo, Sannan looked back to Kondo before including the rest of the group in his gaze as well. “Should one group uncover the ronin’s base of operations, they should send one member of their party to inform the other groups of their whereabouts immediately, before taking action.” 

Murmurs of agreement filtered through the air for a moment before with a final nod to each other, Sannan and Kondo led their respective groups away to begin the search. 

With Yamazaki at his side Sannan began his search of the city, his eyes scanning the crowds around them for any sign of the rouge samurai they were looking for. After a little while Sannan glanced back at Yamazaki who was walking a half step or so behind him.

“You are from Osaka, are you not Yamazaki-kun?” asked Sannan slowing his pace fractionally so that Yamazaki drew even with him as they walked. “Have you any suggestion as to where we should attempt to seek out the rouge samurai’s headquarters?” 

“In this part of town?” questioned Yamazaki, looking over at Sannan for a moment before looking down, his eyes becoming slightly hooded as he stopped walking to pause for thought. After a minute or two he looked back up, his gaze intent. “I think that I know of a few places, sir.” 

Inclining his head in a nod, Sannan gestured for Yamazaki to walk ahead of him as he spoke. “…Then lead the way Yamazaki-kun, and we shall see if your suggestions will bear us fruit.” 

Following Yamazaki’s lead, they traveled toward another area nearby, one which appeared to be a bit more commerce based than where they had been, and therefore offered a better opportunity for making connections and contact with people from a vast variety of places. Occasionally they stopped to speak to various merchants and shopkeepers, whose businesses appeared most likely to have brought them into contact with said ronin, though their inquiries were kept subtle and to a minimum as they would also serve to make the people in the city more aware of the presence of outsiders.

Hours passed and the day had progressed into late afternoon without he and Yamazaki having had any success. They had just agreed to give up their search and return to the inn to see if any of the other groups had met with success, when a small commotion from behind them drew their attention. Sannan and Yamazaki turned to see a figure quickly shoving his way through the diminished crowd toward them. 

“Sannan-san! Sannan-san,… Yamazaki!” called Shinpachi as he drew closer, skidding to a stop in front of them as he bent over to rest his hands on his knees while catching his breath after his run. 

“Nagakura-kun,… what is it?” asked Sannan his brows knitting as he half-raised his hand, intending to steady the younger man if need be as he appeared on the verge of falling over. “Has something happened?”

At last managing to take in a deep breath Shinpachi straightened, nodding. “It’s Serizawa-san,… We found the rouge samurai’s headquarters. …He’s going to raid it. …He sent me to find the rest of you, but I don’t think he’s going to wait very long. …We have to hurry.” 

Sannan’s eyes widened for a moment as he let his hand fall back to his side, before narrowing as he looked at Shinpachi intently. “Where are they?” 

“We found out they’re using the back of a merchant’s shop across town.” replied Shinpachi as his eyes momentarily flicked back toward the direction he had come from. 

“I think that I know the shop you’re talking about.” inserted Yamazaki, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he stood listening to Sannan and Shinpachi’s conversation.

“Very well, then you will show me the way there Nagakura-kun.” began Sannan nodding in response before looking over to where Yamazaki stood. “Yamazaki-kun, please go to the inn and inform Inoue-san and Hirama-san, then locate Commander Kondo’s group and bring them to the shop.” 

Shinpachi shook his head as Sannan spoke. “They already know. …I stopped by the inn on my way here when I was trying to find everyone.” 

“I see.” murmured Sannan, shifting his gaze toward Yamazaki. “Then you will merely need to summon Commander Kondo’s group.”

“Sir!” responded Yamazaki with a sharp nod before setting off and quickly disappearing into the maze of buildings.

Turning after Yamazaki had gone, Sannan and Shinpachi began to make their way back down the street in the direction Shinpachi had come from, their quick pace turning into a run once they had gotten past the worst of the remaining crowds. By the time that they arrived, Inoue and Hirama had reached the store as well, and as they drew closer Sannan could hear that both men were attempting to persuade Serizawa and Okita to wait just a bit longer.

“Serizawa-san!” called Sannan as he approached with Shinpachi just behind him. “Please wait a little while longer, Yamazaki-kun has already been dispatched to summon Kondo-san’s group and they should arrive shortly. Would it not be wiser to wait until we are at our full strength before attacking?” 

Serizawa’s eyes narrowed, his expression taking on an annoyed twist as he turned to face Sannan. He glanced down at Sannan for a moment before looking away as his eyes swept the assembled men. 

“Why should we wait? …There are enough of us here to get to job done.” Sneering, Serizawa snorted disdainfully as he turned away. “…Or is it your intention that we wait to let them get wind of our attack and escape?” Resting a hand on his sword Serizawa started toward the store, calling for the others to follow him. 

As Serizawa departed with Okita in his wake, Sannan gritted his teeth fighting back his feelings of frustration as Inoue, Hirama, and Shinpachi’s eyes fell on him. Letting out a harsh sigh Sannan closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself then looking back up, he nodded at the three men as he started forward, moving quickly to catch up with Serizawa and Okita. “Let’s go,… We shall hope that Kondo-san and the others will arrive soon.” 

Shouts began to ring out from inside the store as the rouge samurai within began to realize that they were being raided, and before long Sannan found himself embroiled in a fierce battle as the ronin fought to resist capture. Narrowly managing to doge a downward slash from the man he was fighting with, Sannan thrust his blade forward, impaling the rouge samurai’s shoulder. The man cried out, dropping his sword and falling to the floor when Sannan’s blade was pulled free.

“Sannan-kun, look out!” 

The voice cried out just as Sannan sensed movement behind him and turned bringing up his weapon to fend off an attack. However instead of an attack aimed for his head, arms, or shoulders as he had anticipated, the attacking ronin’s sword swung in a low sideways arc, which threatened to gut him, or would still lay his side open even if he managed to largely deflect it. Desperately Sannan attempted to bring his sword into position in time to ward off the blow, while bracing himself for the pain that was likely soon to come. But before the attack could land the point of a sword abruptly protruded from Sannan’s attacker’s chest as the man went limp then slid to the ground. 

Lifting his gaze Sannan’s eyes met those of Kondo, who straightened and was breathing heavily as if he had run the entire way from where he had been, only having just arrived in time to fell Sannan’s attacker. 

“Kondo-san!” murmured Sannan in surprise before quickly moving to cover Kondo’s back as the battle continued. 

“Are you all right?” asked Kondo as he blocked an attack that was launched at him by another of the rouge samurai.

“Yes.” replied Sannan nodding sharply, before striking out at an attacker that got too close.

As the rouge samurai came to realize that the Roshigumi now had back up, with the arrival of Kondo’s group, the battle ended shortly thereafter. The surviving ronin, some of whom were injured though not fatally, were delivered to the local magistrate’s office where Kondo submitted a report on the rouge samurai group’s capture. Afterwards the Roshigumi trekked back toward the inn to clean up, as he walked Sannan listened to the others discussing ideas and plans for how to spend the remainder of the evening and their time while in Osaka. 

“Are we really heading back to the inn for the night so early?” asked Shinpachi looking over at Kondo as they neared the inn. “I mean the night’s still young, why not find something to do while we’re here?” 

Frowning thoughtfully Kondo rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure,… What do you think Serizawa-san?” he asked looking over at the other Roshigumi leader. 

The deference in Kondo’s tone as well as the way that he automatically yielded the decision to Serizawa, without even definitively voicing his own opinion on the matter, brought a faint frown to Sannan’s face. In spite of his and Hijikata’s encouragement to the contrary, Kondo continued to frequently behave as if he were of a lower rank than Serizawa. While he was aware that a part of it was simply Kondo’s nature, to hold others in high esteem regardless of their rank, Sannan sometimes could not help wondering what might happen if Kondo were to assert himself more often and whether doing so might cause some alteration in the other man’s behavior. 

Unable to completely quell his reaction, Sannan found himself hissing a quiet scolding under his breath, in response to Kondo’s question to Serizawa. “Kondo-san…” 

“Hmph.” Serizawa smirked toward Sannan and Kondo for a moment before looking away as if he hadn’t noticed the brief interaction between them. Serizawa tapped his chin with his fan a few times before shrugging carelessly. “Well, since we’re here…Why don’t we rent a boat for a banquet and enjoy the time outdoors?” 

Kondo’s eyes widened at the suggestion and he sputtered momentarily before making an attempt to compose himself, coughing lightly before speaking. “Um,… Serizawa-san, while that does sound like an enjoyable outing,… our funds are rather limited I’m afraid. And unfortunately I have some business I must attend to while we’re in town, later.” 

“Ha!” retorted Serizawa throwing his head back as he laughed once before spreading his hand out from his side in an expansive gesture. “I insist! …And since I’m feeling generous today,… You don’t have to worry about the cost.” 

A faint uptick in the volume of the conversations the others were having, indicated their approval of Serizawa’s offer, even as Kondo hesitated wearing a minute frown. A moment passed before Kondo opened his mouth to respond, voicing mild protest. “Um,… that’s not necessary Serizawa-san, while your offer is quite appreciated-…” 

Stepping closer, Sannan reached out to place a restraining hand on Kondo’s shoulder to forestall him from speaking further. “My,… such a generous offer. …After everyone’s efforts today, it would seem that giving them a break is only reasonable. …So in that case, how can we possibly refuse?” said Sannan, putting on a pleasant smile. Squeezing Kondo’s shoulder to gain his attention Sannan leaned closer, turning his head to make it more difficult for Serizawa to detect that he was speaking, as he dropped his voice to a bare whisper. “Kondo-san, I believe that it would be wiser to simply comply in this instance. Should we disrupt the mood it is quite possible that the situation may become difficult to manage.” 

While he too was curious as to what precisely had sparked Serizawa’s sudden goodwill, and what the potential reparations for it might be in the future, Sannan could also not help but be concerned about that damage that might result from attempting to pry into that reason too far or from refusing to accept the man’s benevolence. And at least with the current suggested outing there was some hope of restraining Serizawa from getting out of hand, as there were only a limited number of people who would be on the boat and therefore fewer people to rouse Serizawa’s temper. 

“Hmm,… very well then.” said Kondo nodding as he straightened slightly, covering his concerned frown with a more neutral expression. “I leave everyone in your care, Serizawa-san.” 

After saying their goodbyes as the group reached the inn, Kondo and Inoue went their separate way to prepare for tending to their other tasks. 

From there the evening had turned out to be rather pleasant, and in spite of Sannan’s concerns regarding Serizawa’s motivations, he too found himself relaxing as he enjoyed the cooling breeze that washed across the water. Letting his eyes wander over the others as they talked, laughed and admired the view as the boat drifted along, Sannan sipped at his cup of sake while still being careful not to consume too much as he wanted to remain alert, and avoid letting himself begin lecturing or talking more than what might be wise.

By this time the majority of the bountiful banquet had been consumed, and the men had somewhat broken into smaller groups for conversation as they continued drinking. Yamazaki and Saito sat a little ways away from the others, speaking quietly in low tones, while Nagakura and Shimada sat nearer Serizawa. The majority of the conversation there appeared to be taking place between Serizawa and Nagakura, with an occasional comment directed toward or coming from either Shimada or Hirama, who sat next to Serizawa refilling the elder man’s cup whenever it was extended toward him. Meanwhile Sannan listened with half an ear as Okita regaled him with an account of one of his more recent sparring matches against Saito. As he spoke Okita also kept an attentive watch on the subject of his story out of the corner of one eye. 

“Hey, Sannan-san,… are you even listening to me?” asked Okita, cutting himself off mid-sentence as he called Sannan’s attention more fully to himself.

“Of course I was, Okita-kun.” responded Sannan pulling his attention away from his observation of the group as a whole and over to the younger man who was sitting nearby. “You were just recounting how you managed to counter Saito-kun’s attack and nearly scored a blow while forcing him to step backward.” 

“Hmm,…?” Okita’s eyes narrowed for a moment as he studied Sannan before appearing to decide that Sannan had been listening attentively enough and continued. “Anyway, after that-…”

A few minutes later Saito half rose from where he was seated, directing his attention toward Serizawa while speaking, causing the conversations of the others to come to a stop. 

“Commander Serizawa,… Might I be allowed to return to shore?” asked Saito, bowing his head slightly as he spoke.  
Sannan watched as Okita’s expression shifted with his interest, and he looked over at Saito more intently. “Huh,… what do you want to do that for Hajime-kun?” asked Okita, before Serizawa had a chance to speak. “Haven’t you been having a good time?”

Saito glanced toward Okita briefly before looking back to Serizawa once more as he answered Okita’s question. “I am afraid that I am feeling unwell.”

Serizawa’s eyes narrowed at Saito’s response, a flicker of displeasure showing in them as he grunted. 

Glancing back and forth between Saito and Serizawa as he observed Serizawa’s darkening expression, Sannan spoke quickly, hoping to keep things from escalating. “What’s wrong Saito-kun?”

“It is my stomach Vice Commander.” murmured Saito looking toward Sannan as he brought up one hand to rest on his stomach. “I am experiencing some discomfort.” 

Sannan felt a faint frown knitting his brow, and looking over saw a similar expression on Serizawa’s face as his gaze swept Saito up and down. “…You don’t look sick. And you seemed fine before now. How do I know that you’re not faking it for some reason?” said Serizawa.

“I assure you Commander that I am not.” replied Saito lowering his head slightly. “What motivation would there be for me to do so?”

Rising from where he had been seated beside Saito, Yamazaki spoke up. “I saw Saito-san take a blow to his stomach during the battle earlier. …It’s possible the richness of the food might have aggravated an injury.” 

The sight of Yamazaki stepping up in support of Saito’s claim caused a memory to rise to the surface of Sannan’s mind as he studied the pair. Now that he thought about it he did recall having seen both men leaving Hijikata’s quarters, with their departures separated by mere minutes, shortly after the current trip to Osaka had been proposed. At the time he had given it little thought as he had been otherwise occupied by the research into the ochimizu, apart from having vaguely noted that Yamazaki in particular had seemed somewhat furtive as he left. 

He also remembered Hijikata having made some statement about having a plan to help ensure that they wouldn’t have to rely on Serizawa’s connections forever. Though he was unaware of the details of what Hijikata might have been planning, he was beginning to suspect that Yamazaki and Saito’s actions at the moment were somehow a part of it. In which case he would do what he could to aid them.

“Serizawa-san,… if Saito-kun is truly unwell, would it not be better to allow him to return to the inn and rest?” asked Sannan, setting his sake cup aside as he turned to face Serizawa more fully. 

“I do not wish to be any trouble Commander.” said Saito, lifting his gaze from the floor as he spoke. “I believe that I will be able to return on my own. …So the rest of you should remain here to enjoy the remainder of the evening.” 

Disapproval radiated from Serizawa as he remained silent for several minutes before shaking his head and pushing himself to his feet. “No, we’ll all go back. How can you expect the rest of us to enjoy the banquet knowing one of our number is ill?”

Saito appeared to be taken aback for a moment, judging by the minute shift in expression that Sannan observed, but quickly regained his composure. “…That is unnecessary Commander.” 

A slight smirk twisted Serizawa’s lips as he looked down at Saito and Yamazaki, who still stood at Saito’s side. “Is there some reason we shouldn’t? …Maybe we’ll be in your way?”

“There is no reason.” said Saito, shaking his head. “…Your concern for my welfare is appreciated.”

As they walked back to the inn Serizawa’s good mood from earlier appeared to have vanished and he appeared particularly disgruntled. Meanwhile Okita had taken to lurking near Saito, occasionally needling the other young man while observing him closely, almost as if he too suspected that something more out of the ordinary was going on. Sannan had noticed that since Saito had rejoined them in Kyoto, Okita had at times seemed vaguely jealous of Saito, and thought that it may have played a part in the desperation to prove himself that Okita had shown recently. It had also begun to become a concern to both Hijikata and Kondo, due to the actions that such envy had provoked Okita toward.

Upon nearing a bridge that was close to the inn, Sannan slowed his pace, seeing that the bridge was already occupied and almost too narrow to allow both groups to occupy it simultaneously with ease. Serizawa on the other hand continued forward without pause, drawing himself up with a scowl as he reached the first members of the other group. 

“Stand aside and let us cross.” ordered Serizawa, glaring up at the man who stood closest to where he had been forced to stop.

At Serizawa’s words the man looked over, his eyes traveling over Serizawa, Sannan and the other members of the Roshigumi, before turning away with a disinterested expression as he returned to his conversation. As Sannan watched, an expression of rage crossed Serizawa’s face for a moment before he somewhat composed himself, gritting his teeth as he spoke again. 

“Move, Dog… We are samurai serving under the Lord of Aizu, and we will be allowed to pass.” demanded Serizawa, raising his voice enough that some of the people milling around the area were beginning to take notice. 

Judging by the size and stature of the men in the group before them, Sannan thought that they were possibly a group of local sumo wrestlers out enjoying the evening, as several of them appeared to be somewhat intoxicated. No doubt it would make them even more difficult to reason with, should the confrontation become more heated. Sannan’s eyes swept the area as he took note of the attention they were drawing, then hoping to somehow deescalate the situation before it could further deteriorate, he stepped a bit closer to Serizawa leaning forward to speak in a low voice. “Seizawa-san, perhaps we should simply…” began Sannan just as the man Serizawa had been confronting turned toward them. 

“Why should we?” sneered the large man, looking down at Serizawa as he spoke. At the same time the wrestler’s hand came up, looking as if he intended to shove Serizawa roughly out of the way. 

Before the wrestler’s hand could come into contact however, Serizawa had pulled out the iron fan he always carried and had struck out with it. Then in the moments of shock before any one of either the wrestlers or Roshigumi could react, Serizawa had continued his attack lashing out several more times, until he had left the man who had confronted him with a handful of reddening marks, and one or two thin slashes, which had begun to trickle blood. 

“Come.” ordered Serizawa glancing back at the others behind him, as he once again started toward the bridge. 

Wordlessly the group of sumo wrestlers that had confronted them stepped aside as Serizawa walked forward, their faces colored by shock at the unexpectedness of Serizawa’s attack and the injuries their companion had suffered. As he and the others crossed the bridge in Serizawa’s wake, Sannan’s lips thinned in frustration at the unnecessary confrontation that had just occurred. While garnering respect for their position was vital, methods like the one Serizawa had just employed were in part the reason that the Roshigumi’s reputation in Kyoto continued to suffer. Considering that their current mission was not only an attempt to gain merit with the Aizu, but also an opportunity for the group to form connections in Osaka, they could not afford to begin alienating the local citizens against them already. 

After they returned to the inn Saito was sent to rest with Yamazaki watching over him. Meanwhile the rest of them congregated in one of the larger rooms that they had been given, talking quietly amongst themselves, as if not quite willing let the festivities of earlier end, though the overall mood had become much more somber. While he might have liked to retreat to his own room for the night, Sannan too remained. Despite feeling increasingly wearied by the day’s events and constant company, he felt it was unfair to leave Serizawa entirely to the supervision of the others, in the event that his earlier assault on the wrestlers was insufficient to assuage his temper. 

A short time later, Yamazaki entered the room where they had gathered to report that Saito’s symptoms had become more severe, and to request permission to take Saito to be seen by a local doctor whom he was familiar with. At first Serizawa had been reluctant, once again stating his view that Saito was faking his illness, citing the way that he had appeared to be fine during their return to the inn and had shown no sign of weakness or poor health. As Yamazaki continued attempting to persuade him, Serizawa further added that given the mildness of Saito’s symptoms, leaving the inn to visit a doctor seemed unnecessary as the doctor could simply be summoned to the inn. 

Eventually despite the air of suspicion that Serizawa gave off regarding the situation, he relented, allowing Yamazaki to accompany Saito. After Yamazaki and Saito’s departure, Serizawa had seemed to forget his bad temper and had sent Hirama out to fetch some sake for him. Meanwhile, as it appeared that Serizawa had settled on drinking at the inn for the rest of the night, Sannan finally felt that things were calming enough for Serizawa to be left to his own devices. Returning to his room Sannan lit a lamp and after removing a book from among his things, settled at the small desk the room contained to read for a time. 

While he had not felt that it would be safe to bring along Nimi’s notes on the ochimizu Sannan had brought along Kodo’s translated medical text, since even if the book was discovered it would be innocuous enough, though perhaps be considered a bit odd for a samurai to have in his possession. Turning to the page where he had last left off, Sannan resumed his studies, tracing a finger along the hand copied diagrams as he attempted to match the information to what he was able to recall from Nimi’s notes. He had only been at it for a short time when a commotion of shouts, cries and other sounds of battle from somewhere outside the inn caused him to lift his head. 

Sannan sat for a few moments attempting to discern what was going on by sound alone, and despite the noise had almost decided to resume his reading as the commotion appeared to be taking place entirely outside, when amid the clamor a familiar voice rang out accompanied by wild laughter. 

_That sounds like…Okita-kun!_ thought Sannan his eyes widening briefly before he got to his feet, hurrying out of his room. 

Arriving outside just as the group of sumo wrestlers that had been engaged in combat with Okita, Serizawa, Nagakura, and Shimada retreated, Sannan felt his jaw drop minutely as he took in the aftermath of the battle. The street outside the inn was doused in blood, as were the four members of the Roshigumi who had taken part, with the most substantial amounts of blood being worn by Okita and Serizawa. Additionally destroyed weapons and evidence of severe injury to the sumo wrestlers who had been attacked lay scattered around the area. 

Rounding on Nagakura, who judging by the amount of blood he wore was one of those least involved in the battle, he demanded an explanation. 

“What happened here!?” asked Sannan, ignoring the way the younger man flinched at his approach. 

Shinpachi rubbed uneasily at the back of his neck, glancing away and down toward the sword which hung loosely in his grip for a moment before looking back up. “…Well,… You see…” began Shinpachi uneasily. 

In short order Sannan had heard Shinpachi’s account, of how Hirama had come back inside to report that sumo wrestlers from earlier had returned, and how Serizawa had gone out to confront them, the incident quickly descending into actual combat as Serizawa had ordered them to attack when the wrestlers had begun to close in on them with staffs. After Shinpachi had finished, Sannan turned toward Serizawa, feeling the beginnings of a headache starting to form, no doubt aided by what alcohol he had drank earlier. 

Sannan threw out a hand at his side in frustration as he began to question Serizawa further. “…What were you thinking Serizawa-san?! …They were civilians, not rouge samurai! You simply cannot cut down whomever you might wish, without good reason.”

Appearing bored, Serizawa looked down at Sannan while sheathing his sword. “Their behavior and insolence was reason enough. Letting it go unchecked would only have made us appear weak, and ineffective.” 

Gritting his teeth, Sannan felt his hands curl into fists at his sides as he attempted to mask the way they shook with anger. Despite all of the times in the past that he had encouraged Hijikata to remain calm in the face of Serizawa’s actions, and keep in mind that they still needed his reputation for at least a while longer, he had never empathized with Hijikata’s irritation with Serizawa more than at this moment. While Serizawa had claimed that allowing the wrestlers to insult and oppose them without meeting some form of retribution would only serve to demean and weaken the reputations of both the Roshigumi and the Aizu Domain, to Sannan it seemed that rather than enhance the Roshigumi’s standing, what had occurred would instead only serve to further damage the opinions that many in Kyoto and the surrounding cities held regarding their group. Knowing Serizawa’s persistence at doing exactly as he wished however, Sannan was uncertain what could he say that might penetrate the man’s self-assurance with his actions. 

Letting out a frustrated sigh Sannan closed his eyes for a moment as he made an effort to compose himself. “…In any case, I believe that it would be best for us to go back inside and await Kondo-san’s return before any further actions are taken in regards to this situation.”

At Sannan’s words Okita, Shinpachi and Shimada began to file back inside the inn. For a moment it appeared as if Hirama intended to do likewise, until he was stopped by Serizawa who rolled his shoulders as if stretching his muscles after having preformed strenuous work. “After all that exercise, I need a drink.” stated Serizawa as he turned and started to leave.

Stepping forward quickly Sannan reached out to catch Serizawa’s shoulder, halting the other man momentarily, as he spoke. “Please wait Serizawa-san! We should all remain here until Kondo-san has returned.” 

Shrugging off Sannan’s hand with an irritable grunt, Serizawa’s eyes narrowed as he turned back to look down at him. “Just who do you think I am? …What makes you think that I would follow the orders of a mere Vice Commander? I’ll do as I like.” 

Sneering, Serizawa laughed derisively then turned to leave once more, motioning for Hirama to follow him as he called back over his shoulder for Sannan to give his regards to Kondo. 

As Sannan watched, Hirama hesitated for a moment as he looked back, then hurried after Serizawa. Letting out another sigh Sannan lifted a hand to rub at his temple, which had begun throbbing during his confrontation with Serizawa, as his headache had grown worse. The sensation of a hand on his shoulder pulled Sannan’s attention back to his surroundings and he looked over to see that Shinpachi had come to stand beside him. 

“…It doesn’t look like there’s anything we can do Sannan-san.” said Shinpachi, lowering his hand as Sannan looked over at him. “We might as well go back inside and wait.” 

“…It seems so.” murmured Sannan, nodding in agreement as he accompanied Shinpachi back inside the inn.

Later that night, when Kondo had returned to the inn and learned what had happened, he had been furious. To the point that for one of the few times which had occurred, according to Sannan’s memory, Kondo had actually raised his voice at Okita when the younger man had insisted that no wrong had been done. Okita had looked as if he had been slapped by Kondo instead, and had fallen into a hurt and bewildered silence, before slipping away at his earliest opportunity. Sannan wondered how much this incident would serve to widen the rift that had gradually been growing between Okita, and Hijikata and Kondo’s ideals, as no doubt Hijikata would be equally furious when he learned what had happened once they returned to Kyoto.


	3. Chapter 3

As Sannan had anticipated, Hijikata had indeed become irate upon learning of the incident in Osaka and had gone to confront Serizawa personally, while he, Okita and some of the others remained behind in the common room to continue discussing what had happened. There was little doubt in his mind that the determination with which Okita had almost casually volunteered to commit seppuku had only added fuel to Hijikata’s temper, though Okita had ultimately ended up apologizing to Kondo for his part in the incident at Osaka. 

Thinking back, Sannan wondered if any of the things he had said after Hijikata and Kondo had left the room had gotten through to Okita. Despite having somewhat made up with Kondo, the younger man had still seemed so despondent. And he had done his best to try to reassure Okita, while still reminding him that he should hold his own life in higher regard, and consider the value of its potential use for the Roshigumi with more care rather than simply throwing it away so easily by acting without restraint. At the time Okita had appeared unresponsive to his efforts, and he was uncertain that any of it had truly been taken to heart.

Before they had left Osaka, Serizawa had insisted that they file a report of the incident with the local magistrate, placing the blame for events solely on the wrestlers they had fought with. Kondo had been reluctant, clearly unhappy about the idea, but had eventually complied with Serizawa. If the report had been the only acknowledgement of the incident on the part of the Roshigumi it no doubt would have further soured relations and could even have led to further confrontations in the future, however Sannan suspected that Kondo’s meeting with and apology to the head of the sumo wrestlers stable had done much to begin to repair the damage that had been done, and allowed them to forge further connections in Osaka. Additionally he had learned after their return to Kyoto that Hijikata had indeed ordered Yamazaki to introduce Saito to a doctor with whom he was acquainted in Osaka, so that the initial meeting then would establish yet another connection which the Roshigumi could take advantage of in the future.

As a result, a short time later Hijikata and Kondo had planned to return to Osaka on their own. However, just before Kondo and Hijikata left on their trip, Hijikata called Sannan to his quarters to discuss another of his ideas. 

“Hijikata-kun?” Sannan had called as he came to a stop outside Hijikata’s quarters. “You wanted to see me?” 

“Ah, Sannan-san. Come in.” came Hijikata’s voice through the thin paper of the shoji door.

Sannan slid the door open, stepping inside before closing the door behind him. Taking his place a short distance from Hijikata’s desk, Sannan sat waiting patiently for a few minutes as Hijikata finished writing on one of the papers spread before him before stopping and turning from his desk. 

“…Look at all of this. Not only are there paperwork and reports that need to be done, half of these are bills that we’re going to have to figure out how to pay.” muttered Hijikata frowning as he heaved an annoyed sounding sigh, waving one hand toward the chaotic pile spread across the desk behind him.

“I see. …Our finances have always been somewhat insecure. I’m certain that you are as aware of this as I. …But, should you require assistance, I shall do what I am able.” replied Sannan with a slight smile as he chuckled lightly. “Although,… I think it unlikely that you called me here merely to complain about accumulated bills and paperwork.” 

A wry smile twisted Hijikata’s lips as he held Sannan’s gaze for a moment before the tension in his shoulders eased somewhat and he shook his head. “No, you’re right. …Tell me what you think of the new recruits.” 

“The new recruits?” Sannan felt his eyebrows rise slightly as he echoed Hijikata’s words. Of all the reasons that he might have expected to be called to Hijikata’s quarters, this particular topic had not been one of the ones that he had considered. “…From what I have heard from the various captains to whom they have been assigned, I believe that all of them have been performing their duties adequately thus far. Though there of course may still remain some inexperience among them, which time and circumstance will likely correct.” Sannan paused his eyes narrowing minutely as he studied Hijikata for a moment. “However, …you knew that already...” 

Hijikata grunted in response, appearing to ignore Sannan’s final statement as he continued. “What about the two that went with you to Osaka? …Shimada and Yamazaki?” 

Sannan wondered exactly what Hijikata’s purpose was in this line of questioning, however despite his curiosity and current lack of knowledge, there was no reason for him to withhold a response. “…Both men carried out their duties adequately, and appear to be competent. …And Yamazaki-kun was able to aid Saito-kun adequately in carrying out your plan, was he not?”

“He was.” agreed Hijikata nodding briefly. “And what about their loyalty to the group? …Do they seem trustworthy to you?” 

“At this point in time there is no reason to assume that their loyalties are suspect. …From what I have seen Yamazaki-kun in particular seems particularly devoted to his service within the Roshigumi.” Sannan fell silent, tilting his head as he eyed Hijikata more intently. “What is this about Hijikata-kun?” 

“…Kondo-san said pretty much the same thing about Shimada…” muttered Hijikata almost under his breath as he glanced away to stare at the paperwork that remained on his desk before sighing as he turned his attention back to Sannan. “…Serizawa-san is getting more out of hand all the time… We can’t keep letting him get away with it, so we need a way of keeping an eye on him.” 

Sannan nodded minutely, waiting for Hijikata to continue. While he did agree with Hijikata’s statement, curbing Serizawa’s, less desirable behavior, so far had been rather difficult as they still were reliant on his status and as well as his goodwill toward them, in spite of Hijikata’s efforts to begin to expand their connections in the area.

After a minute or two passed, during which Hijikata sat watching for Sannan’s reaction, he finally continued. “I think that we should set up another unit within the Shinsengumi. I want to establish some inspectors for the group, someone who can help keep an eye on things. To make sure we don’t have any problems with internal security. And who will help make sure that the code of conduct is being followed. …I want them to only report to you, me, Kondo-san or the captains, no one else. The less chance there is of something secret that they have to report being over heard, the better.”

Feeling his eyebrows rise at the idea that Hijikata was suggesting Sannan spent a moment or two processing the idea. “Surely you are aware that Nimi-san and Serizawa-san will no doubt object. They are likely to take this change as a sign that you are becoming distrustful of them…”

Hijikata snorted. “I’m pretty sure that ship sailed a while back. If Serizawa-san at least, out of the two of them, hasn’t been able to figure out that I don’t trust him, then I’ve been overestimating him.” As he fell silent, Hijikata’s frown deepened, as if he were already envisioning how the encounter with Serizawa was likely to go.

Sannan hummed quietly in acknowledgement of Hijikata’s remark, before continuing with what he had been saying. “…I do however understand the reasoning behind your idea. The reputation of the Roshigumi has been damaged enough already, if it is possible to prevent further stain, then steps must be taken. …And I shall of course accompany you when you go to inform Serizawa-san of the plan.” added Sannan, a faint smile crossing his lips at the relief that was momentarily reflected in Hijikata’s expression.

“Thanks Sannan-san.” murmured Hijikata as he allowed a minute smile to curve his own lips as well.

A moment passed, and just as Sannan was preparing to rise and take his leave, he was stopped by Hijikata. “…Sannan-san, before you go. …About the ochimizu… What’s going on with the experiments?”

Now it was Sannan’s own turn to frown, as he contemplated his most recent encounters with Kodo and Nimi in regards to the serum. Both men had seemed very eager to continue their experiments on human subjects, now that various modifications had been made to the ochimizu since the last time they had tested it on a member of the Shinsengumi. 

Sannan’s lips thinned as he pressed them together before looking back to Hijikata. “I am uncertain how much longer I will be able to dissuade Kodo-san and Nimi-san from continuing their experiments. …The ochimizu has been modified since the last time it was tested, however it is difficult to know exactly what the effects of those changes will turn out to be. …They may be sufficient to allow the person taking it to retain their sanity while still acquiring the enhanced abilities of a Fury. Or the effect could end up being the same as before, or perhaps even something else entirely.”

“I see…” murmured Hijikata pensively as his frown from earlier returned. After a moment his gaze flicked up to Sannan’s. “I know we were ordered to carry out the experiments,… but do what you can.” 

Nodding in agreement Sannan lingered for a minute or two longer, to make sure that there was nothing further that Hijikata wished to discuss, before rising to his feet and leaving the room. 

The experiments with the ochimizu, along with Kodo and Nimi, were likely to be an ongoing problem. While it was possible that the modifications which had been made would prove effective, there was no way of knowing until the serum had actually been tested, and doing so would require the potential sacrifice of yet another of their own. It was obvious that the situation and the actions of both Kodo and Nimi would need to be closely monitored, both by himself and perhaps by the inspectors which Hijikata proposed as well, to cover the times in which he would be necessarily occupied elsewhere.

Later that evening as he had promised, Sannan had accompanied Hijikata to inform Serizawa of their plans to appoint inspectors for the Roshigumi. Nimi had unsurprisingly protested, as he tended to do in regards to most of the suggestions made by either himself, Hijikata or Kondo. However he had been a bit surprised by just how easily Serizawa appeared to accept the proposition. Never the less, the lack of protest did make things easier, as it had left Nimi as the sole, and relatively easily over ruled objector. 

Some time had passed since then, with Hijikata and Kondo having returned from their trip back to Osaka a day or two earlier. While there they had both met with the owner of the sumo wrestling stable for a second time, as well as visited the doctor that Yamazaki had taken Saito to. Following Hijikata and Kondo’s return there had been a period of settling back into usual routines, after the upset that had been cause by the incident in Osaka, and the very minor excitement that had been brought by the arrest Serizawa had made of a rouge samurai who had been touting himself as a member of the Roshigumi in order to extort money from the locals. 

Eventually things had calmed enough to allow time for Hijikata and Kondo to share with him the details of what had gone on during their trip and for the three of them to discuss what their next moves might be in regards to the contacts that Hijikata and Kondo had made. 

“…It would be hosted as a joint event between us, but I think it would be a way that we can raise more money, without having to resort to the sort of tactics that Serizawa-…” Hijikata was saying when he was interrupted by a sudden eerie scream from outside. The eyes of all three men widened at the sound, a few moments passing as a commotion began outside, before they hastily got to their feet. 

“That sounded like a Fury.” said Sannan, feeling his brow knit as he frowned. 

While he had been aware of Nimi’s growing impatience to test the ochimizu again, he had not thought that the man would act so brazenly as to transform someone into a fury at a time when all of the Roshigumi captains were present and so close at hand. Especially when Nimi was well aware that with the newly assigned roles given to Yamazaki and Shimada, there was no possibility of any of the other members of the Roshigumi leadership being oblivious to his actions for long. 

“Nimi, that bastard!” growled Hijikata, his fury clearly visible in his expression as he started toward the door, slamming it open. 

With the door open, they could now hear more clearly the shouts of some of the Roshigumi’s members joining in with the overall clamor, while from behind them the voices of some of the lower ranked men became audible to form a concerned murmur. 

Hijikata’s head snapped back around at the sound to glare at the closed door behind them. “Damn that Nimi and his persistence! …We can’t let any of the men see what’s going on out there.”

Kondo looked over at Hijikata, nodding once before turning to cross back to the far door. “Go Toshi. I’ll see to things here.” 

As Kondo finished speaking, Hijikata grunted in response, sparing a momentary glance toward Sannan as he headed out through the door in front of him. “Sannan-san, you’re with me.” 

Nodding wordlessly in response, Sannan moved to hurry along at Hijikata’s side as they wove their way through the buildings in the compound toward where the initial sounds had come from. Along the way they encountered the other Roshigumi captains.

“Where’s Kondo-san?” asked Okita as he came up on Hijikata’s other side, glancing around briefly before focusing his attention on Hijikata.

“He’s making sure the men stay put.” muttered Hijikata in response as he picked up his pace, keeping his glare fixed firmly ahead. “The last thing we need is one them stumbling in on this.” 

“What was that?” asked Heisuke, from a little further back in the group, referring to the cry which had drawn all of them. 

“It came from the shed.” Sannan replied, a bit of tension creeping into his voice, as he glanced briefly back in Heisuke’s direction while still keeping pace with Hijikata.

Rounding a corner the group came upon the sight of Ibuki, who appeared to be quite shaken as he sank to his knees, still staring out over the rooftops. Nearby the doorway to the shed Nimi had been using for his research into the Furies lay shattered, illuminated by a light from within the building. Heisuke was the first to run toward Ibuki, calling out to the other young man as he came to where Ryunosuke knelt. 

“Ryunosuke, what happened? You okay?” asked Heisuke as he bent to touch Ibuki’s shoulder.

Meanwhile Nagakura drew Hijikata’s attention to the remains of the broken door. For a moment Hijikata’s face was stunned as he realized that, not only had Nimi created another Fury but that the man had also allowed it to escape, and they would now have to attempt to capture and dispose of it before the Roshigumi’s secret was discovered. 

“Where did he go?!” demanded Hijikata sharply, looking over toward Ibuki and Heisuke.

Shakily Ryunosuke lifted a hand to point in the direction he had been staring, not quite managing to form any words. 

“After him!” ordered Hijikata looking over at the captains gathered behind him before shifting his focus to Okita and Sannan in turn. “Souji! Sannan-san!” He added, indicating that the two of them should follow as he started toward the shed. 

As he turned to follow Hijikata, Sannan briefly heard Heisuke beginning to question Ibuki further as to the escaped Fury’s appearance, though he didn’t linger long enough to hear Ibuki’s reply. Entering the shed Sannan turned his attention fully toward Nimi who was kneeling to gather up his notes and research materials, his efforts becoming more frantic as he looked back to see them gathered behind him.

Nervously Nimi asked if they needed something, obviously attempting to pretend that nothing had happened, even as Hijikata glared down at him.

“Don’t play dumb! That was a Fury’s voice.” growled Hijikata stepping closer as Nimi looked up at him, flinching slightly at Hijikata’s words and the realization that he had been caught beyond escaping. 

“Do you want to die?” murmured Okita from a short distance behind Sannan, the menace clear in his voice.

Just then Serizawa entered the shed behind them complaining about the noise and commotion, and as Hijikata, Sannan and Okita turned to face him, Nimi quickly scrambled to his feet using the opportunity to move behind Serizawa as if using the man like a shield to protect him from their anger. 

“I-I was merely conducting a test with the Ochimizu.” stammered Nimi in explanation as he peered past Serizawa’s shoulder. 

Hijikata demanded to know who the serum had been administered to, only to receive the response that rather than one of their own, the ochimizu had been given to the ronin who had been arrested by Serizawa. 

For a moment Sannan was unable to believe his ears. To give the ochimizu to one of their own, when the effects of it were still uncertain, was bad enough. But to give the ochimizu to a ronin, who could by no means be trusted with the secret of the experiments if he were to survive, was beyond fathoming. And if the man had survived and retained his sanity, what were they to do then? In that instance they would suddenly be confronted by not only the enhanced strength and healing abilities of fury, but the cunning and intelligence of a perfectly sane warrior. Even worse, the warrior would be one who would have no loyalty to the Roshigumi whatsoever.

Unable to contain himself any longer Sannan stepped forward from where he stood behind Hijikata and Okita, also demanding an explanation from Nimi. “Nimi-san, why would you do such a thing without consulting us first?!” 

“I did it to improve our results faster!” protested Nimi, looking increasingly anxious as he continued. “Plus it wasn’t a complete failure this time. He was able to retain his senses at first.”

Intrigued Sannan couldn’t help the surge of curiosity he felt at Nimi’s revelation. As he had learned more about the ochimizu through his study of Nimi’s notes and the other medical references that he had been able to get a look at, he had been increasingly fascinated to consider the possibilities should their experiments with the serum ultimately proved successful. The asset to the Roshigumi, could be tremendous. 

Pulling his attention from his thoughts as Hijikata demanded to know how Nimi would take responsibility for the fury’s escape, Sannan listened as Nimi questioned how he could be expected to be able take responsibility at all before looking toward Serizawa, as if hoping for an intervention on his behalf. 

As Hijikata retorted irritably to Nimi’s tentative response, Nimi flinched, sweat beginning to bead on his face when Hijikata stated that no further acts of subterfuge or keeping things from them would be tolerated and that the next time such an act occurred the rules of conduct that had been established may well require his life in recompense.

Sounding rather subdued now Nimi stated that he would keep Hijikata’s words in mind, though Sannan somehow doubted that would forestall Nimi’s actions entirely, especially given the smirk with which Serizawa met Hijikata’s furious glare. The standoff between the two men lasted for a few minutes, before breaking off as there was little more that could be done to alter the situation now. 

Afterward Hijikata had gone to find Kondo, and while Okita ventured out to help the others locate the escaped fury, Sannan had remained behind to keep an eye on Nimi though he doubted the man would try anything further tonight. By the time that the search was ended for the night, it was nearly dawn and exhaustion had begun to make itself plain on the faces of the captains as they trekked back toward headquarters after having been out all night. 

As the ronin turned fury would be unable to cause further trouble during the day, and would likely go to ground by hiding until nightfall, it was decided that continuing their efforts at present was unnecessary and that the search would resume once darkness began to fall. Among the captains, Heisuke alone reported and sign of having spotted the fury, though he had Ibuki had allowed it to escape after having merely wounded it briefly.

Heisuke had apologized earnestly for his failure to finish off the fury, having found it difficult to kill someone who had once been human and who under different circumstances he would not have killed. After Hijikata had reminded Heisuke that his hesitation could cost more lives and that he would not be given a second chance, he and the other captains had been dismissed as the meeting ended. As the others filtered out of the room Heisuke at last sat up and rose from where he had been kneeling once everyone else was gone. Making his way out onto the engawa Heisuke seated himself on the edge, looking despondent as he gazed out across the courtyard. 

Though he too was tired after the nights events Sannan decided to linger after leaving the room and had remained nearby as the others passed by him, including Ibuki who had moved on after having been instructed to do so by a slight gesture, until Heisuke finally emerged. Staying silent he watched as Heisuke sat down, shoulders slumping as he leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees, and continued observing the young man for several minutes longer before stepping forward as Heisuke lowered his head with a sigh. 

“Toudou-kun.” called Sannan quietly as he came up behind Heisuke, causing him to jump with a startled exclamation. 

As Heisuke turned and realized that it was Sannan who had spoken, he relaxed somewhat, shaking his head slightly. “Oh,… it’s you Sannan-san…” Heisuke murmured his gaze falling to the floor. As he turned back toward the courtyard after a few moments his shoulders slumped back toward their former position.

Sannan hummed quietly in response as he came to a stop just behind Heisuke, where he stood silently waiting for Heisuke to begin expressing what was on his mind, though he knew it was most likely something to do with his failure to kill the fury they had been after given how distraught he had appeared over the situation. He did not have to wait long, as only a few minutes passed before Heisuke let out another more frustrated sigh and began speaking.

“…Sannan-san, I know that I shouldn’t have hesitated… but how can I just kill someone who hasn’t really hurt anyone, and who wasn’t my enemy?” asked Heisuke, his hands curling into fists where they rested in his lap. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt. After all we came here to help protect the people in Kyoto,… but I don’t want to kill anyone either unless I absolutely have to.” 

“It is not an easy thing to do.” agreed Sannan, nodding slightly in response to Heisuke’s words before continuing. “Even in times when it is necessary to do so, the act is one to which a person may never become accustomed without being conscious of its weight. …At least one may hope that that does not become the case.” 

“…But how-…?” began Heisuke as he lifted his head to look searchingly at Sannan, seeming almost surprised to hear such a thing from the older and more experienced Vice Commander. Finally after several moments of study Heisuke looked away, his brow knitting as he frowned at a distant point across the compound. “…Back at Shiei Hall thinking about this kind of stuff …Or when we talked about the things we would do after coming here, I thought I knew what it would be like. …I never realized that it was going to be so different from what I’d imagined,… I didn’t think it would be this hard…” 

Humming once again Sannan nodded, allowing a few moments of silence to pass. “…However, I do not think that your blade will hesitate a second time. I believe that you will do what is needed to carry out your duties.” 

A complex series of emotions played across Heisuke’s face as he looked up at Sannan, ending in a faint grimace before he glanced away, nodding wordlessly. 

Letting out a quiet breath Sannan pushed onward. “In the meantime, as your usual patrols do not occur until later Toudou-kun, I would advise you to take advantage of this time and rest.” 

At first Sannan thought that Heisuke had somehow managed not to hear him, as the younger man continued to sit unmoving for a minute or two longer, but eventually Heisuke reached out to pick up his sword from where it lay beside him before getting to his feet. Looking over at him, Heisuke excused himself with a low murmur, then headed off toward the part of the compound where the captains quarters were housed. Watching as Heisuke departed Sannan noted the slump that remained in Heisuke’s posture, indicating his still clearly troubled thoughts despite their conversation, and hoped that both time and rest would serve to ease his mind. After Heisuke had gone Sannan lingered for a few minutes longer, looking out over the courtyard as his mind turned over the events of the night, then retreated toward his quarters hoping for at least few hours rest before resuming his own duties.

Later that evening he gathered with Hijikata, Kondo and the Roshigumi captains briefly where the three of them once again reminded the captains of the necessity of locating and dealing with the escaped fury, before breaking up into their assigned groups to resume the hunt. He and Saito searched the section of the city to which they had been assigned, based on Heisuke’s report of where the fury had last been sighted. They continued the task for some time without success, until distant shouts and the increasing noise of a crowd gathering caused them to shift the focus of their attention toward the sounds, the latter of which grew louder as they reached the scene. A brief glance as he passed by the alleyway which was being guarded, served to confirm that his prediction of Heisuke’s ability to overcome his previous failure to act had been correct. Sannan managed to catch the younger man’s eye, giving him a brief nod of approval, before going to assist the others with keeping the curious civilians that had come to investigate the commotion away from the scene. 

Several days later the cry of yet another fury echoed across the compound, loud enough to wake anyone who had been asleep in one of the buildings nearby. 

When he was awoken by the sound and subsequent clamor, Sannan had only just begun to drift toward sleep, having gone to bed somewhat earlier than was normal as he was scheduled to join one of the captains on their rounds of the city in the morning. Throwing back the blanket covering him Sannan quickly dressed before hurrying outside to join the others who were also gathering. A few moments of discussion was enough to determine what had likely happened, before they quickly spread out across the compound to locate the fury. Fortunately this time the fury that Nimi had created was dispatched by Saito before it could escape the grounds. However just as before, in spite of Nimi’s agreement to keep the consequences of his actions in mind, once again Nimi had acted without informing anyone else of his intentions to transform yet another ronin into a fury.


	4. Chapter 4

Sannan’s eyes scanned the area around him while walking alongside Saito as they patrolled the city. He kept a portion of his attention on his surroundings as he pondered what to do about Nimi’s actions. 

Even the threat of being ordered to take his own life had proved insufficient to prevent this latest incident, though eventually Nimi had agreed to at least refrain from testing the ochimizu on captured ronin whose loyalty to the Roshigumi was naturally non-existent. Ultimately, this time even Serizawa had failed to side with Nimi, which had perhaps played a part in the man’s agreement to restrict his testing to the membership of the Roshigumi. Though whether or not Nimi would hold himself to the agreement remained to be seen. 

Regardless it was plain that he would have to monitor Nimi’s actions even more closely than he had been already, to the point of making certain that he was present during any occasion when it seemed that there was even a possibility that Nimi might consider testing the serum. Doing so also meant that he would have to further ingratiate himself to both Nimi and Kodo, but as unpalatable as the thought might be, it appeared that he had little other choice if he wished to mitigate the potential for damage that Nimi’s actions might cause.

Sannan’s lips thinned into a tight frown as his brow furrowed, the displeasure brought by his thoughts becoming more evident on his face, until the sound of an oddly familiar voice pulled his attention outward. Looking down the street ahead of him toward the source of the voice Sannan soon spotted a woman who stood just inside the doorway of a bookseller’s store, and after a few moments of watching her as he and the other Roshigumi drew closer, he recalled just where he recognized the voice from. It belonged to the geisha whom he had met during the evening he had spent in Shimabara some time ago. 

His curiosity piqued by the unexpected encounter, Sannan couldn’t help attempting to over hear what was being said as he passed by. From what he was able to make out it seemed that she was at the store to purchase a book of poetry, and was currently engaged in deciding between several different works, with the bookseller eagerly extolling the virtues of each as he lingered near her. Sannan’s pace slowed slightly as neared the edge of earshot, in hopes of catching just a little bit more of what was being said as the geisha began to reply to the bookseller’s last comment. 

Feeling eyes on him as the group reached the end of a row of buildings after they had continued on a bit further, Sannan looked over to see that Saito was watching him silently. For a moment Sannan had the impression that Saito was frowning slightly, before the expression vanished into impassivity, when he realized that Sannan had turned to regard him as well. 

“Vice Commander? …Is there something wrong?” asked Saito, his eyes straying back in the direction they had come from as he adjusted his walking speed to keep pace with Sannan’s.

Sannan shook his head, glancing away toward the front of the group as his and Saito’s slower pace had caused them to begin to fall toward the rear of the unit. “No Saito-kun,… everything is fine.” 

He felt Saito’s observation persist for a minute or two longer before the subtle pressure of his intent gaze fell away as the younger man murmured a quiet response. As their patrol continued onward Sannan’s curiosity nagged at him, until he found himself very much wanting to turn back and see if the woman was still at the booksellers, and if perhaps, he might be able to speak with her for a few minutes. There was no sensible reason that he could come up with to explain his desire to do so, yet apparently that still did not prevent said desire from existing. 

Reaching a decision as the patrol reached the cross street where the Roshigumi would turn for the final leg of their rounds and to go back toward their headquarters, Sannan came to a stop, looking over at Saito who had paused alongside him. “Saito-kun, I’ve just recalled an errand I must attend to. …Please finish the patrol from here without me.” 

This time Saito’s brow did knit visibly, if only for a moment. “Do you require my assistance Vice Commander? Or shall I select a couple of men to accompany you?” 

“No, that will not be necessary Saito-kun. Accompany the men for the remainder of their rounds and see that they return to headquarters without incident when their duties are complete.” said Sannan shaking his head before continuing, in an attempt to assure Saito and forestall any protest he might have. “I am quite certain that I can attend to this task without the need for help.”

“As you wish, Vice Commander.” murmured Saito, inclining his head in a slight nod before moving to catch up with the group of Roshigumi, who had paused a short distance away when they realized that their leaders had come to a stop. 

After Saito had ordered the men to resume their patrol, he lingered for a moment at the corner before joining them, watching as Sannan made his way back down the street in the direction they had come from. A minute frown crossed Saito’s face for an instant, then he shook his head, proceeding down the street after his men as his thoughts continued. _…As he had suspected it seemed that Vice Commander Sannan was indeed headed back toward the bookseller’s, though it was unclear just what might have so drawn his attention to cause him to do so._

_When they had passed by he had seen nothing that should so warrant the Vice Commander’s attention, though he had noticed that Sannan had seemed rather intently fixated on the store, and particularly one of the customers who had been inside. Seeing Sannan’s focus, he had made it a point to take note of not only the woman and her interactions with the bookseller, but also the women who had appeared to be accompanying her. He had not picked up on anything in their interactions that had appeared to be suspicious in any way, but he decided that it was possible that the Vice Commander had some reason that caused him to decide to return to the bookseller’s, regardless of the lack of reason that he could see for the action._

Pausing in his musings briefly, Saito looked around, making sure that there were no visible threats in the immediate vicinity and that the attention of the men continued to be appropriately focused on their duty before allowing himself to resume his train of thought. 

_...Upon further reflection, while there had been nothing suspicious occurring, he did recall that the kimono worn by the woman speaking with the bookseller and the women accompanying her had been far finer than those typically worn by the majority of the townswomen. Their hair had also been somewhat elaborately styled, and was ornamented with pins that looked expensive. …And while he did not specifically recognize any of them, he almost felt as if he might have seen at least one them before while in Shimabara, though it was difficult to be certain as none of the women had currently been wearing the heavier make-up that was typical of the geisha or oiran while working. …However, such thoughts and speculation were of little importance at the moment, in comparison to the fulfillment of his duties…_

Sannan wove through the crowds back toward the bookseller’s, ignoring the looks and low murmurs he drew from the townspeople, who seemed after a few moments to begin clearing a path before him as he walked quickly down the street. When he reached the bookseller’s store he slowed, pausing for a moment just outside the entrance to the store in an attempt to catch up on what was being said, and in hopes of making his entrance appear a bit less sudden. Sannan stepped inside the shop, his entrance drawing the attention of the shopkeeper whose eyes narrowed a bit as he caught sight of the haori Sannan wore, though he continued speaking with the woman about the book he was holding even as he watched Sannan suspiciously out of the corner of his eye. Overlooking the shopkeepers reaction to his presence, Sannan pretended to browse the books briefly before making his way over to where the shopkeeper and the woman stood.

As Sannan approached both the shopkeeper and the woman looked toward him, their discussion pausing. For a moment Sannan saw a look of recognition appear on the woman’s face, then as she noticed his haori her brow knitted minutely before her expression smoothed over into carefully studied neutrality. The shopkeeper’s reaction was less subtle, and he wore a clearly irritated frown at the interruption and perhaps also at the presence of a member of the infamous Roshigumi, as he turned from the woman to look back over his shoulder as Sannan spoke. The reaction of other women, who appeared to be accompanying the geisha whom he had met before, was similar to that of the shopkeeper and they eyed him warily from a short distance behind her as they began whispering amongst themselves.

“Please excuse me. …I’m afraid that I couldn’t help but overhear your discussion…” began Sannan raising his head after having bowed slightly as his presence was acknowledged. It took Sannan a moment before he was able to turn his gaze away from the eyes of the geisha he had met before, but when he had, he shifted his attention toward the book seller. “…Do you have any books which contain the works of Ono no Komachi or Izumi Shikibu?” 

Looking back to the woman as the shopkeeper frowned at him, then moved away heading deeper into the store while muttering something under his breath about ‘Mibu Wolves’, Sannan inclined his head minutely to her. “…If you will permit me to offer a suggestion, that is.” 

The woman tilted her head as she raised an eyebrow slightly, her eyes studying him briefly, though her expression contained no sign of irritation in spite of the overt coolness of it. “It would seem that you have done so already, regardless.” 

Sannan felt a wry smile touch his lips, even as his brow knitted faintly. But before he could offer a retort, the bookseller reappeared beside them, offering the woman the book he had returned with. 

Opening the book carefully, in a show of respect for its value, the woman skimmed through a page or two of it before returning it to the bookseller with a nod. “Yes,… I will buy this one.” After the bookseller stepped away to wrap up the book, the woman turned back toward Sannan. She paused for a beat, her eyes touching briefly on his haori once again, before adding. “…I imagine that there are many who would be surprised at one of the ‘wolves of Mibu’ possessing a knowledge of poetry, particularly poetry written by a woman.”

Sannan hesitated, pushing his glassed further up his nose with one hand before straightening his shoulders. In truth he was not actually very familiar with the works of either of the women whom he had named, and had only vaguely recalled having heard the names sometime in the past, as he had thought about a way to approach her while making his way back toward the bookstore. Still, as long as she was content to assume his level of knowledge, Sannan had little intention of informing the woman otherwise. 

“For a warrior, the arts are something which should be considered of value. Regardless of their source.” said Sannan after a few moments, holding the woman’s gaze steadily as he watched to observe her reaction.

A small smile crossed the woman’s lips, and Sannan caught a hint of warmth which suddenly appeared in her eyes, almost approaching that which he had seen during their previous encounter. “…As you say.” She murmured, bowing her head in a nod of assent.

By then the bookseller had returned with the wrapped book and Sannan watched as the woman turned to pay him. He continued to linger as the woman accepted the book and the women with her gathered closer behind her as they prepared to leave, but before she and her companions could go, Sannan took a half step forward, closing the slight distance between them even further. As the woman looked back toward him with a questioning expression, Sannan cleared his throat, putting on a faint smile. “…I find that during our previous encounter, I somehow neglected to ask for your name…” 

Behind her, one of the woman’s companions leaned forward with a concerned frown, starting to whisper something softly to her before being silenced with a look. Raising her chin slightly the woman looked back toward Sannan. “…You may call me Takumi Kumiko.” 

“Takumi-san.” murmured Sannan in response as he lowered his head in a semblance of a bow.

A subtle smile again reflected in Kumiko’s eyes briefly, before her expression took on its former remoteness. “…Good day, Sannan-han.” replied Kumiko bowing politely before the women with her stepped toward the door, their departure serving to draw Kumiko away along with them, leaving Sannan to watch as Kumiko and her friends glided gracefully out of the store.

As he made his way back to the Roshigumi’s headquarters Sannan reflected on the encounter which had contained an odd mixture of coldness and the warmth and charm that Takumi-san had displayed during their first meeting. After some thought he began to wonder if her conflicting reactions might have had something to do with the sudden realization of his association with the Roshigumi, since he was unable to recall having mentioned much regarding himself beyond the vaguest details to explain his current presence in Shimabara at the time. If that was the case, given the Roshigumi’s reputation it did much to explain her response, though he still remained a bit unclear as to what her ultimate sentiment might be. However, at least now he had a name to use in locating and contacting her should he for some reason wish to do so, even if the wisdom or sense in such an action was at best uncertain. 

Upon entering the estate that served as the Roshigumi’s headquarters Sannan found that Yamazaki appeared to have been waiting for his return, as the young man swiftly crossed the courtyard toward Sannan immediately after having spotted him. Pushing away any further thoughts of his encounter in the city Sannan turned his attention to whatever business Yamazaki was bringing him, which seemed that it might be somewhat urgent, given the seriousness of the young man’s expression.

“Vice Commander.” began Yamazaki, bowing as he came to a stop in front of Sannan. “…Kodo-san is here and was attempting to locate either you or Nimi-san earlier. I believe that he was seeking information regarding a particular subject…” 

“I see.” murmured Sannan, his eyes narrowing as he frowned minutely. 

Given that it was Kodo, there was little question in Sannan’s mind as to what topic he wished to gather more information on. While he had been thinking that he would have to begin working his way closer into Kodo and Nimi’s schemes in relation to the Furies, he had not expected an opportunity to present itself so soon. Never the less, with the chance present before him there was no sense in hesitation, regardless of his level of preparedness. 

Nodding as he turned his attention back toward Yamazaki, Sannan’s expression took on a more serious tone. “Very well. Please inform Kodo-san that I have returned and that I will speak with him in my quarters.” 

“Sir.” replied Yamazaki, bowing sharply before turning and hurrying away across the compound.

After arriving in his room Sannan had only a few minutes to shed his haori and to prepare himself for the coming encounter, during which he would attempt to gain Kodo’s favor while answering the man’s questions, before Kodo himself appeared outside his door. Replying evenly to Kodo’s announcement of his presence, Sannan granted him permission to enter, and turned from his desk to face the door as it slid open to allow Kodo to step inside the room. Offering Kodo one of the cushions in the room to seat himself on after the older man had closed the door, Sannan allowed a few moments to pass before breaking the silence, in order to permit Kodo to begin asking him the questions he had so clearly been eager to have answered. 

“I apologize for the delay while I was attending to my duties elsewhere.” began Sannan, bowing his head for a moment to Kodo. “…I understand that there were some questions which you wished to discuss.” 

“Hmm,… yes.” Kodo nodded, appearing to settle himself for a prolonged conversation as he looked across at Sannan for a moment before continuing. “I had heard that there was another recent incident that resulted in the creation of a new Fury. I had hoped to speak with Nimi-san, and to examine any recent modifications he had made to the serum, if there were some progress with the experiments…”

Sannan hummed quietly in response to the other man’s words when Kodo paused briefly before continuing. Though he had not been present at the moment of the Fury’s creation, from examining the corpse once the fury had been felled, Sannan was unable to observe anything that made this most recent Fury any different than those who had been made previously. Still since he was not witness to the entire process, that did not mean that there could have been some quality that set this Fury apart from the others, which Nimi had simply chosen not to disclose in front of Kondo, Hijikata, himself and the Roshigumi captains. Frowning almost imperceptibly Sannan turned his attention back to Kodo just in time to catch the man’s last statement.

“I had also heard that Ibuki-kun was a witness to the Fury after its creation,… but he was unable to answer any of my questions, before I was informed of your return.” 

As he sat watching Kodo from across the short distance between them, Sannan wondered briefly if Kodo might have been disappointed that his questioning of Ibuki was interrupted, and if he might have hoped that the young man would let slip something that he, Kondo and Hijikata might have preferred to keep hidden. While his knowledge of the Roshigumi’s secrets had not yet endangered Ibuki’s life, it was clear that he knew far too much for him to ever be allowed to return to the life he had known before. Though it was yet to be determined with certainty what precisely that meant for the boy’s future. 

However since such questions and suspicion regarding Kodo’s motives would do little to aid his current purpose, Sannan shook away the thought of Kodo’s potential disappointment at having been unable to question someone whose answers might have been less guarded than some of the leadership of the Roshigumi might wish. Instead Sannan nodded in response to Kodo’s comment. “I see. …While I may be unable to inform you of some of the specific details of Nimi-san’s latest experiment with the ochimizu, I will answer any questions that I am able to.” 

Kodo studied Sannan for a moment, then nodded. “Very well. …What can you tell me about the latest Fury that was created? …Did you notice anything different about it?”

Sannan frowned as if thinking for several minutes, then shook his head. “No,… I’m afraid that I cannot recall anything unusual about it.” 

“Are you certain?” pressed Kodo, the tone of his voice shifting as he leaned forward while beginning to become caught up in his scientific enthusiasm over the topic as he continued his questioning. “…There was nothing unusual or different in its appearance than that of the previous Furies? …Or perhaps something distinct about the way it behaved?” 

Letting out a small sigh Sannan shook his head once more. “I’m afraid that I did not arrive in time to witness any differences between the Fury and the abilities of a normal human, apart from the usual enhanced strength and speed that can be obtained by drinking the ochimizu. …And I have generally not been present during the occasions when Nimi-san has chosen to test the ochimizu until afterward. If only I had been there when he had administered the serum, …then perhaps I would be able to tell you something more…

“I see.” murmured Kodo, his shoulders slumping minutely as he sat back once Sannan’s voice had trailed off into silence. “…Perhaps when I am able to speak with Nimi-san I will be able to learn if there was anything more that might have occurred when the transformation took place.” 

A faint air of disappointment lingered in the air for several minutes before Sannan decided that it had gone on long enough. Putting on a frown Sannan lowered his eyes toward the floor slightly, though he still kept a watch on Kodo’s reactions as he spoke. “…I must admit that while I have continued to express resistance toward the experiments, I find that my initial reluctance regarding the use of the ochimizu has become less decided than that of Hijikata-kun and Kondo-san. …Nimi-san once mentioned that one of the men, on whom the ochimizu was tested, was able to retain his sanity for a brief time. If such a result could be replicated and expanded upon, I can easily envision the benefits it would bring to the Roshigumi.” 

As Kodo’s interest turned toward him, Sannan looked up to meet and hold the other man’s gaze as he continued. “…Perhaps if I were to become more involved in observing the experiments as they took place and in the modification of the serum, I might be able to offer some form of further assistance. …And if our efforts do eventually prove successful, I may even be able to convince Hijikata-kun and Kondo-san to accept the use of the ochimizu on a wider basis.” 

Something flickered briefly in Kodo’s eyes, and for a moment it looked to Sannan as if Kodo were attempting to determine if the sentiment of Sannan’s statements was genuine, before the older man appeared to brush whatever thought he’d been having aside. Kodo nodded to himself after a moment more, folding his arms across his chest before speaking. “…Such open-mindedness is commendable, Sannan-kun. While I can understand having a sense of loyalty toward your leader and colleagues, and that you may wish to avoid friction with them, you shouldn’t let that stop you from pursuing a different course. Particularly when that course may eventually prove beneficial to your group as a whole.”

“Thank you Kodo-san.” murmured Sannan lowering his head in a semblance of a bow. “I shall keep that thought in mind.” 

After a moment Kodo rose from where he was seated, starting toward the door. “Well, if you are unable think of anything further that you can tell me, I will not take up your time any longer Sannan-kun. …When I see Nimi-san I shall speak to him about making certain to inform you when he next plans to test the ochimizu, so that you can be present to observe.” 

Sannan allowed a small smile to cross his lips as he nodded. “That would be much appreciated.” 

Once Kodo had gone, Sannan frowned as he continued looking toward the door through which Kodo had departed for a few minutes before turning toward his desk. Seating himself in front of it Sannan reached for the journal which contained the information he had copied from Nimi’s research notes around the time that the experiments with the ochimizu had begun. While his words to Kodo had been spoken in an attempt to persuade the man to trust him enough to include him in the ochimizu research more fully, they were also not entirely a lie. As he had studied the information that he had been able to obtain, or drag out of Nimi, he had been increasingly intrigued by the possibility of the benefits that the ochimizu might potentially hold. Especially when Nimi had claimed that he had managed a level of success, allowing the test subject to retain his sanity even briefly. Though he had been frustrated at Nimi’s actions at the time, and still found it difficult to accept the necessity of using the Roshigumi’s members as test subjects, he could not help but feel that it would be shortsighted to dismiss the research entirely. Especially if they were ultimately successful with it. …He also felt uncertain about the possibility that Hijikata and Kondo would actually be able to accept the use of the ochimizu in that instance, or if they would find the idea too repugnant, given what it had cost to perfect the serum.

Sannan sighed, trying to ignore the faint sensation of being tugged in two increasingly divergent directions as he opened the journal to refresh his memory of the notes he had made on Nimi’s research.


	5. Chapter 5

Several days had passed since his chance meeting with Takumi-san in the bookseller’s shop, and his subsequent meeting with Kodo, and in that time Sannan had surprisingly found it difficult to dismiss her somewhat conflicting reactions during their encounter from his mind. Even after multiple times of having gone over and analyzed his memory of their interactions, Sannan still felt uncertain as to what conclusion she had reached regarding her opinion toward him after discovering his membership as a part of the Roshigumi. Though he also found it difficult understand why it mattered to him to the degree that it did. Still regardless of the irrationality of it, he had eventually given into his desire for certainty, despite his initial resolution to refrain from seeking her out. Since he now had a name to work with Sannan had managed to send out a message to arrange a meeting, without drawing the attention of the other members of the Roshigumi to his actions. 

After having slipped away from the Roshigumi’s headquarters, Sannan had made his way to Shimabara, and now sat waiting in a room at one of the ochaya there. Shifting slightly where he sat, Sannan sighed quietly, as he once again wondered what precisely had led to him giving into the foolishness that was responsible for his being here. For a moment he considered leaving before Takumi-san arrived, with an apology and money to compensate for having taken up her time left behind with one of the ochaya’s staff. Just then Sannan heard quiet movement from outside the room, and looked toward the door as it slid open. 

“I am sorry to have kept you waiting.” said Kumiko as she bowed gracefully. “Thank you for requesting my company.” Lifting her head after a moment she slipped inside the room, turning to slide the door closed behind her before facing forward once more. Sannan watched as her eyes moved around the room, a faint frown knitting her brow for an instant before it disappeared, her expression shifting back into pleasant neutrality. As her attention settled on Sannan, Kumiko lowered her head to bow once more. “…Will anyone else be joining you, Sannan-han?” 

Sannan shook his head as Kumiko looked back up at him. “No. I am not expecting anyone else.” 

“I see.” murmured Kumiko inclining her head in a single nod, after a moment she made a slight motion toward the door as she continued. “…Then shall I call for some sake to be brought? …Or perhaps for something else to eat or drink?” 

“No sake.” said Sannan, deciding that it would be best for him to avoid drinking at the moment, as he preferred to remain entirely sober and in control of himself during this encounter. He realized a moment later though that he ought to at least allow something to be brought, as it would allow her to serve him, and would offer the ochaya a chance to make additional money from the use of the room. “…Though, perhaps some tea…” 

A faint smile curved Kumiko’s lips and she bowed before moving toward the door, opening it slightly to speak to a server who was waiting outside the door for a few moments before turning back toward Sannan. “The tea will arrive shortly, Sannan-han.” 

“Thank you.” murmured Sannan, internally hoping that the tea would arrive quickly. He wanted to talk with Takumi-san, but wished to do so without seeming rude by rushing toward the point before the tea could even be brought to them. Additionally, he also wanted to avoid the risk of their conversation being disrupted by the ochaya’s staff once it had begun. 

When the tea arrived a short time later it was accompanied by an assortment of some delicate looking wagashi, even though he hadn’t asked for them to be included. 

_…However…_ thought Sannan, watching as Kumiko moved to fill his cup with tea, while allowing him to choose from the selection of wagashi as he wished. _…They were pretty and looked rather appealing. …Perhaps they would even lend a more relaxed and comfortable air to the atmosphere than what the more strict and businesslike tea, alone, would have._

After Kumiko had placed the filled cup in front of him with another bow, Sannan bowed in return then as she looked up at him, gestured toward the nearby teapot, second cup, and the tray containing the wagashi. “Please,… join me.” 

“Thank you Sannan-han.” murmured Kumiko inclining her head briefly before moving to fill the second cup with tea. She also selected one or two of the wagashi for herself before returning to her place across from Sannan, where she sat sipping delicately from her cup of tea.

Sannan allowed several minutes to pass, during which he and Kumiko sat in surprisingly comfortable silence drinking their tea, before he decided to press forward. Sighing quietly Sannan set aside his tea, causing Kumiko to look up at him with a faintly questioning expression. “…I feel that I should thank you for agreeing to my request today.” began Sannan lowering his head momentarily, in a semblance of a bow. “…After our last encounter, I confess that I was uncertain if you would.” 

Kumiko studied Sannan for a moment then her expression shifted, almost making it seem that an invisible mask of deliberate impassivity had been dropped from it, as she shook her head. She looked down for a moment, one side of her lips curving in a rueful smile that was half hidden behind the teacup she held, before she lowered the cup to rest in her lap looking back up at Sannan. “In truth, I was pleased when I learned that you had thought to request my services, Sannan-han.” 

“…But then why?...” asked Sannan, his voice trailing off as his brow knitted slightly in confusion, once again thinking back to the coolness of the majority of her responses at the bookseller’s. 

A faint pensive frown crossed Kumiko’s face as she tilted her head to one side. “You are aware of the reputation that is possessed by the Roshigumi among the townspeople here and in nearby cities, are you not?”

Sannan paused, thinking back over the recent activities of both Serizawa and the Roshigumi. There had been the conflict with the sumo wrestlers in Osaka, as well as Serizawa’s refusal so far to pay for the Roshigumi’s new uniforms. There had also been the arrests of several ronin and a number of small skirmishes with them as well. Which, while intended to protect the people of Kyoto had not always been as well received by the townspeople as one might have hoped. After the head of a ronin had been put up for display in Osaka at Serizawa’s insistence, he had noticed that the murmurings and looks the Roshigumi received from the people in town had begun to increase and become more hostile, but still had somehow failed to recognize just how bad the Roshigumi’s reputation had begun to become. 

After a moment Kumiko continued, drawing Sannan’s attention back toward her. “In this work one’s reputation is of great importance, and when in front of the eyes of others care must be taken with whom one appears friendly toward, as the reputations of those with whom they associate can mar one’s own reputation in turn.” 

_It appears that my reasoning regarding her reaction was correct…_ Sannan closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a breath as his shoulders fell slightly, before looking back at Kumiko. “…I see. I believe that I understand.” 

Kumiko leaned forward as her brow knitted, one hand lifting slightly as if about to reach forward before she caught herself and returned it to her lap. “I was surprised, Sannan-han. …But that is not to say that I hold the same views that others might,… nor that that particular opinion regarding the Roshigumi is a universal one.” As she sat back a faint smile played over her lips in response to Sannan’s slight frown and minutely raised eyebrow. “…After all, there are at least a few of your members who are quite popular among the women in Shimabara.” 

As Kumiko continued watching him with a hopeful look in her eyes, Sannan felt his own lips begin to curve upward in reply, and he snorted lightly in restrained amusement. He had a reasonable idea to whom Takumi-san was referring, based on the half overheard remarks that tended emerge during the conversations that took place over breakfast on the mornings following Harada-kun and Nagakura-kun’s visits to Shimabara. Even back in Edo, when they would all go out drinking as a group, both men had been popular with the women there. Kondo-san and Hijikata-kun had also attracted their fair share of admirers as well, though they tended to participate in such activities less often now, since the group’s arrival in Kyoto. 

The faint tension of uncertainty that had hung in the air of the room earlier seemed to Sannan to have disappeared as Kumiko laughed softly, her smile warming when she looked over at him for a moment longer before turning to retrieve the teapot from where it sat. As he held out his cup toward her she leaned forward to refill it before picking up her own cup once more. Though he still had not been given as plain an answer as he might have liked, Sannan felt certain that what had been said already was as much of an answer as he was ever likely to receive. While he might have liked a bit more detailed clarity, since Takumi-san seemed completely untroubled by his presence now as they sat drinking their tea, Sannan decided that the explanations he had been given were perfectly sufficient as is. 

The remainder of the evening had passed in pleasant conversation as they had begun sharing their respective backgrounds with one another, now that the reality of their respective roles outside Shimabara had begun to breach the illusory veil of fantasy already. Sannan had learned that Takumi-san had been the daughter of a painter from Omi Provence who had fallen on hard times in the wake of the famine which had ended just over twenty years ago, and had given her to the care of her okiya when she was very young. She had shared a few tales of what life had been like growing up in an okiya, and he had disclosed a bit of his own history as well, before the evening had drawn to a close. Just before Sannan had gone she had stopped him for a moment, asking that he send a request for her again in the future only next time with enough notice for the preparations to be made for a proper tea ceremony rather than the more casual affair they had shared today, as it was one of her particular specialties. Sannan had found himself agreeing to the request almost before realizing that he had done so, enjoying the pleased smile that had crossed her lips as she nodded minutely, before lowering her head as she bowed to him.

The days that followed passed quickly enough, and with his time once more occupied by the affairs of the Roshigumi and sticking close to Nimi in order to keep up with the research into the ochimizu, there was little room for thoughts of things outside those subjects to enter his mind. 

A smooth line of ink spread from Sannan’s brush to one of the pages in front of him as he made a notation of the calculation he had just completed. Looking up from his work Sannan glanced at the pile of various sized bits of paper that were stacked on one corner of his desk, comparing its height to the stack that sat on the other side of where he was working. He was pleased to find that the latter pile, which contained what he had yet to go over, was significantly smaller. He had spent a large portion of the morning going over the Roshigumi’s finances and had increasingly found evidence that, in spite of what support Serizawa had managed to garner for them with his connections, they still had several sizable debts hanging over them and that the margins for covering those debts in their available budget were dangerously thin. 

He had almost finished his work and was looking forward to being able to take a break from the task, when the sound of movement approaching his room from outside caught Sannan’s attention, followed by a voice calling out to him from just beyond the door a moment later. 

“Hey, Sannan-san, are you in there?” 

Raising an eyebrow in response to the mildly impatient tone Hijikata’s voice carried, Sannan set aside his brush turning toward the door as he replied. “Yes,… What is it Hijikata-kun?” 

The door to Sannan’s room slid open sharply, closing just as quickly behind Hijikata as he stepped into the room. As he caught sight of the paperwork piled on Sannan’s desk Hijikata paused in what he had already opened his mouth to say, his brows knitting slightly before he spoke, this time sounding a bit less hurried. “…Are you busy?” 

Sannan shook his head, tipping his head back to look up at Hijikata as the other man stood looking down at him. “It’s nothing that cannot wait. …What did you need Hijikata-kun?” 

Hijikata grunted at Sannan’s response, nodding once before turning to retrieve Sannan’s Roshigumi haori from where it was stored. 

Sannan frowned for a moment as he watched Hijikata’s action, then noting that Hijikata was already dressed in his own haori and armed, Sannan got to his feet moving to retrieve his own swords. He had just finished tucking them into place at his waist as Hijikata came back over to him, and turned toward Hijikata to take his haori, shrugging into as Hijikata quickly began to explain. 

“I just heard about some rumors around town that I want to investigate.” said Hijikata, his frown deepening while he watched Sannan put on his haori. “…And I want us to be the ones to do it, before Serizawa-san has a chance to poke his nose into the situation and try to turn it to his advantage like he’s done before.”

“I see.” murmured Sannan nodding, his expression becoming a trace more serious. “Should we bring along some of the men?” 

Hijikata shook his head. “No. For now I just want us to check things out, there’s no point in making too big a scene out of this until we know more. …And if we do run into any trouble, I think the two of us can handle it.”

Sannan felt a grim smile curve his lips as he nodded once in agreement. “Very well.” 

“Let’s go.” said Hijikata turning on his heel as he stepped toward the door, with Sannan following close behind him. 

On the way toward the main part of town, Hijikata filled Sannan in on the rumor they were investigating in a bit more detail. It seemed that according to the rumor Hijikata had heard, the Roshigumi were using threats of force to extort money from some of the merchants and people around town. However the investigation was made more difficult, in that he had not heard which individuals precisely were being coerced, nor how many people might have been involved in the scheme. It was not the first time something like this had happened unfortunately, which had served to contribute to the Roshigumi’s poor reputation, but this was one of the first occasions where they had gotten ahead of the news far enough in advance to do something about it before Serizawa had a chance to involve himself in things as well.

After arriving in the city center, Hijikata and Sannan began questioning the townspeople largely without success, and Hijikata’s frustration with the refusal of the locals to provide them information became increasingly visible the longer they continued their efforts. They had been at their inquiries for quite some time when eventually Hijikata’s irritation came to a peak as they stood in a teahouse, waiting for its owner to pause in tending to his customers long enough to speak to them. 

“…They’re the ones getting taken, so you’d think they’d want us to put a stop to it.” muttered Hijikata, quietly enough that only Sannan would be close enough to actually hear him, as glared at a point on the wall in front of him. “…But how come these idiots are all protecting whoever’s doing it, instead of speaking up about it?”

“I think it unlikely that referring to the locals as idiots, is conducive to our cause Hijikata-kun.” replied Sannan in a low voice which matched Hijikata’s volume as an almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. He paused for a moment as Hijikata looked over at him sharply, then shook his head to placate Hijikata’s reaction. “…However I suspect that their reasoning may be simply that they do not trust our word that the individual who has approached them is not truly part of the Roshigumi, and that we are staging the situation in an attempt to gain their trust and support. …Or it is also possible that whoever it may be has been here longer than we have and has established sufficient prominent connections, so that people are reluctant to give them up for fear of the repercussions.”

Hijikata grunted his frown deepening before he turned to call out toward the teahouse’s owner as he passed near where they stood. “Hey, are you going to talk to us or not?!” 

While Hijikata dealt with the owner, Sannan’s gaze swept the room and the customers, looking for any signs of anyone or anything that appeared suspicious. The attention of most of the occupants in the teahouse appeared to be intently fixed on their refreshments, though he was able to catch a few of them glancing over out of the corner of their eyes when they thought they weren’t being looked at, but after a few minutes Sannan noted a few exceptions to the general reaction. Subtly taking a second look, Sannan realized that had seen one of the men before, at one of the places that they had already visited. 

Leaning forward as the teahouse’s owner excused himself and moved away, Sannan continued watching the man he had noticed out of the corner of his eye, as he spoke quietly to Hijikata. “…Hijikata-kun,… do you see that man sitting at the table two rows away from the door? …Carefully. Try not to let him notice you,… but does he seem familiar to you as well?” 

Hijikata’s eyes narrowed as he turned his head slightly in order to look toward the table that Sannan had indicated, studying its occupant for several long minutes. “Hmm, you might be right.” murmured Hijikata, his eyes moving to pan over the rest of the room. “…Hey, and look over there. …I know I saw him standing by one of the booths we passed on our way to that last shop.” He added, indicating a second man with a movement of his eyes. 

As if sensing Sannan and Hijikata’s regard, the first of the men rose from his table and headed out the door swiftly, while still looking as if he were trying to avoid drawing attention. A few moments later the second man started toward the door as well, leaving Sannan and Hijikata to watch as he disappeared into the crowd on the street a short distance behind his potential companion.

Hijikata stepped forward quickly, his shoulder brushing Sannan’s as he passed by. “Come on Sannan-san. We don’t want to lose them. …I want to find out why they were following us.” 

Nodding in agreement Sannan followed Hijikata as they wove their way through the people in the street outside, keeping well back from the men they were pursuing in hopes of remaining undetected for a bit longer in order to find out what they were up to. The haori they wore made staying unnoticed in the crowd difficult, as the bright color tended to stand out and draw attention, but for once the Roshigumi’s reputation acted in their favor as the townspeople seemed unwilling to involve themselves beyond the murmured conversations between one another as he and Hijikata passed by. Eventually the men appeared to decide that they had managed to escape, as one of them made some remark to his companion, indicating a nearby shop with a motion of his head. 

As the men shifted their course Sannan and Hijikata were forced to duck into a nearby alleyway in order to stay hidden. They remained there until both men had gone into the shop before moving in closer, slipping into another alley that ran along one side of the building, in order to hear what was being said. Over the course of several minutes they listened as the men spoke with the shopkeeper, asserting some sort of agreement that had been arranged between them and reminding the shop owner of payment that they were due, while ignoring the man’s protestations and pleas for more time. When they overheard mention of the Roshigumi, brought up by one of the men in clear threat, Sannan felt Hijikata’s fingers tighten uncomfortably on his shoulder for a moment as he growled. 

“Those bastards! …They’re the ones that are behind this.” grated out Hijikata in a barely restrained whisper before he started toward the shop’s entrance. “Come on,… let’s go.”

Bursting into the shop, the men barely had a chance to react before Sannan and Hijikata moved in to arrest them. As Hijikata announced their intention and authority as members of the Roshigumi to perform the arrest, Sannan had started to circle around behind the men to ensure they couldn’t escape easily. Just then one of the men suddenly drew his sword aiming a vicious slash at Hijikata, which he managed to narrowly avoid, but doing so allowed the man and his companion to charge past him and out of the door as Hijikata retreated to avoid being struck. 

“Hijikata-kun!” Sannan had called out as he had seen the man begin to move, but there was no way that he could have reacted in time to stop him had Hijikata not moved out of the way.   
As the men fled, Hijikata shook his head in response, already drawing his sword as he hurried out onto the street. “I’m fine! …Don’t let them get away!” 

Sannan drew his sword as he followed Hijikata out of the shop, where they only needed to look around for a moment before spotting the disruption caused by the flight of their suspects. The natural flow of the streets occupants had been interrupted by the men, and while none of the citizens made any effort to stop them from fleeing, they likewise failed to hinder his and Hijikata’s pursuit significantly. Their brief chase lasted for one or two streets as the men attempted to evade them, by weaving through pedestrians and side alleys, before finally emerging onto a street that was thankfully less crowded than the one where the chase had begun. 

The men seemed to have also decided that this was a good place to make their stand, and as they reached the middle of the street they turned with swords drawn to confront Hijikata and Sannan, who were just clearing the alleyway. The two of them had only a moment to react as the men closed in, bringing up their swords to block the attacks aimed at them. Fury blazed in Hijikata’s eyes as he returned the attack of the man who was closest to him, and as the fight began in earnest Sannan distantly noted that the civilians who were on the street had cleared the area around them. A few cries of surprise and fear echoed briefly and a shout from one of the men in the crowd cut through the air, informing everyone in the area that the Roshigumi had once again gotten in a fight. 

Sannan felt his lips tighten in minute frustration at the blame for the conflict being laid on them already, but had no time to linger on the thought further as he saw several more men beginning to step from the crowd with blades drawn and move to form a circle around himself and Hijikata. 

“Shit!” muttered Hijikata as his eyes darted around the ring enclosing them. “We’ve been lead into a set up!” 

There was little Sannan could do but agree mentally, even if such a plot was yet unproven, and focus his attention on warding off a blow as their attackers moved in to press the advantage of their numbers. He and Hijikata busied themselves trading strikes back and forth with various members of the group that surrounded them for several minutes. 

Their efforts at keeping themselves from being pinned in too small an area to fight back caused them to move further and further from each other, until at one point it began to leave their backs unguarded. Turning as he caught sight of one of the men moving at the corner of his vision, Sannan turned to see that the man was preparing to attack Hijikata from behind, and lunged forward swinging his blade in a wide arc that cut the man open. As Hijikata’s attacker fell to the ground Sannan moved to position himself where he could better guard Hijikata’s back from any further attacks. 

Hijikata grunted his thanks in response to Sannan’s actions, his eyes flicking back toward him for a moment before returning his attention to the opponent in front of him. A moment later he and Sannan sprung apart, as they once again moved to confront the ronin who were circling them while looking for an opening in his and Sannan’s defenses. 

Eventually the battle ended, with a few more of the ronin being struck down before the remainder of the group decided to cut their losses and escape. As they returned to the Roshigumi’s headquarters Sannan listened with half an ear as Hijikata vented his frustration while reviewing the encounter in his mind, attempting to determine exactly what they might have done differently, in an effort to curb his own disappointment at the results. 

Upon his and Hijikata’s entrance at the gates of the Maekawa residence, Heisuke was the first to notice their arrival and the young man’s eyes widened as he went still, taking in his and Hijikata’s bloodstained appearance with widening eyes. Then after shaking himself from his frozen state Heisuke started toward them a moment later. 

“Sannan-san! Hijikata-san! …What happened?!” asked Heisuke as he came up alongside them, then turned to keep pace as Hijikata and Sannan began crossing the compound, heading toward the building that housed the kitchen. “Was there a fight? ...Did you run into some ronin?” 

“Keep your voice down!” snapped Hijikata, his frown deepening for a moment as he shot Heisuke an irritated look. “I don’t want everyone here to hear you shouting.” 

Heisuke ducked his head looking chastened. “…Sorry…” he murmured quietly, in a far more subdued tone, before looking back up. “But what happened?” 

By now several of the other captains had been drawn to their location, either by Heisuke’s shout or by having spotted them as they crossed the courtyard. Harada, Shinpachi, and Saito had also gathered around Hijikata and Sannan, as they continued walking. Harada reiterated Heisuke’s question as to what had occurred, receiving a mutter from Hijikata in response before he shook his head.

“I’ll explain once everyone’s together,… I don’t want to have to repeat myself. First let’s get somewhere other than the middle of the courtyard where we can talk.” said Hijikata after letting out a frustrated sigh. His eyes flitted over the assembled captains making note of who was present. “…Bring some water so we can get cleaned up before anyone else sees us like this and starts asking questions. …And someone get Kondou-san, I want him to hear this. Find Souji too.” 

“I think he’s with Kondo-san. …I’ll go get them.” said Heisuke before hurrying off. 

As the other captains dispersed to carry out Hijikata’s orders, Hijikata and Sannan made their way inside the kitchen, where they waited for several minutes as Shinpachi and Harada returned from having filled the tub used for washing dishes with water from the well. As they did, Saito returned with some clean cloths which he handed to Sannan and Hijikata. Heisuke had located Kondo and Okita by this time and arrived with the two of them just as both of the vice commanders had knelt beside the washtub to begin cleaning themselves up. 

Kondo burst into the kitchen area from inside the building, trailed by Okita who took up a position leaning against the door frame with his arms folded. A concerned frown knitted Kondo’s brow as he surveyed Sannan and Hijikata from head to toe, looking for any sign that the blood they were coated with was a sign of injury, rather than simply the result of combat. “What happened, Toshi?! Sannan-kun?!”

“Sorry.” began Hijikata looking over to where Kondo sat beside him, holding Kondo’s gaze for a moment as he shook his head, in an attempt to reassure the other man that both he and Sannan were okay. Hijikata frowned as he scrubbed at patch of blood on his forearm while beginning his explanation. “We ran into some thugs using the Roshigumi name to forcibly ‘borrow’ money. It turned into a swordfight, but they got away.”

Behind them Okita tilted his head, his eyes moving back and forth between Hijikata and Sannan curiously at Hijikata’s report, though his expression remained serious. “Hijikata-san, Sannan-san, It’s unusual for you to let scum get away.”

A faint noise of annoyance came from Hijikata in response to Okita’s words, and even Sannan felt his frown deepen minutely as he lowered the cloth he was using to clean the blood from his cheek to spare Okita a glance. “They had a large group of friends hiding nearby.” Shifting his attention toward Kondo, he lowered his head in a slight bow. “…I am terribly sorry, Commander.”

Kondo straightened, his concerned frown disappearing as he lifted his hands from his lap, holding them up in protest. “No, it couldn’t be helped.”

“So there are some guys using our name to steal money, huh?” muttered Harada, his expression contemplative as he looked down toward his commanding officers from where he stood beside Shinpachi. 

Shinpachi’s eyes narrowed faintly as he chimed in a moment later, adding his own comment to the discussion, though his disgust at the ronin’s actions was a bit more evident than Harada’s. “…And here they were calling themselves Imperial Loyalists until just recently.”

Both men turned to look over at Sannan as he spoke a moment later, his brows drawing together in a frown as he gazed toward the wall in front of him. “That simply goes to show how far the Roshigumi’s reputation has dropped.” said Sannan, as his grip tightened unconsciously on the bloodstained cloth in his hand, squeezing a few drops of water from it.

A beat passed before Heisuke spoke up quietly, the frown he wore was cast in shadow as he stood with his back to the open door that led outside. “Think putting that head on display had the opposite effect of what we were goin’ for?”

Several moments of silence hung over the room, as each of the men contemplated Heisuke’s comment, debating within themselves if the younger man’s words were in fact the truth. Finally Okita broke the quiet, voicing the conclusion that perhaps most of them had at least considered.

“That man has been out of hand lately, hasn’t he?” stated Okita in a grave tone, his eyes remaining closed for a moment as he spoke before looking up at his commanders and fellow captains.

_Okita-kun had a point..._ thought Sannan. Even if displaying the head in Osaka at Serizawa’s insistence had not been the sole cause of the Roshigumi’s diminishing reputation, it had no doubt contributed. Many of Serizawa’s other actions had also done little to benefit their hope of earning a good name and status for the Roshigumi. Still, even the loss of reputation among the people of Kyoto failed to fully encompass the potential severity of the situation if they wanted to have any hope of retaining the powerful connections which they had already established. 

Sannan tilted his gaze toward Okita, dropping his eyes for a moment in an indication of a nod of agreement. “If the Roshigumi develops a poor reputation, it could injure the Aizu Domain’s good name.” Rising to his feet Sannan let the cloth in his hand fall back into the washtub, looking around at the others as he continued. His voice was firm and controlled as he attempted to impress upon the others, and particularly Kondo and Hijikata, the need for action before it was too late to turn the tide that was rising against them. “We cannot allow things to continue as they have.”

Hijikata and Kondo’s gaze dropped to the floor, both of them wearing nearly identical frowns. After a few moments Kondo looked back up at Sannan, his brows drawing together still more tightly. “…But what can we do Sannan-kun?” 

Sighing, Sannan pressed his lips together as he debated how to respond. There was no simple answer to the situation as any attempt they had made so far to restrain Serizawa’s actions had failed entirely or at best been somewhat ineffective. There were perhaps more extreme options that could be taken, but doing so would have their own consequences which at this point in time they were not prepared to shoulder, even if Hijikata and Kondo had been willing to take them. It would after all be somewhat difficult to explain to the Aizu the sudden death of the Roshigumi’s leader, whose name had been the reason for their relationship to the Aizu in the first place, not to mention the irrecoverably bloody stain that doing so would have left on Hijikata and Kondo’s idealistic hopes for the group. 

Closing his eyes Sannan shook his head in response to Kondo’s continued study. There were no suggestions he could offer at this point in time that he thought would be undertaken, or have any effect. Still something would have to be done, and soon, he simply was unsure precisely what action that might be.

In the time that had passed since things had grown quiet and had largely returned to normal, both around their headquarters and in town as well. Though the ronin using the Shinsengumi’s name to extort the locals had both escaped there had yet to be any further rumors regarding a continuation of their actions, and Sannan wondered if perhaps their encounter with himself and Hijikata had been enough to persuade them to lay low, at least for a little while. Serizawa had of course used the incident as an occasion to prod Hijikata and attempt to provoke him to anger, as was his habit, when they had reported the details of the event to him. Sannan was only thankful that Hijikata had managed to restrain himself for the most part, at least until after their audience with Serizawa had concluded, and had then been grateful for Kondo’s presence as he had been waiting for them outside Serizawa’s quarters afterward. 

They had all gone back to Kondo’s room, where the other man had assisted him in calming Hijikata’s annoyance with Serizawa, which had only added to his frustration at their failure to have captured the ronin. The three of them had spent several hours that night in Kondo’s room drinking tea and discussing what their next moves should be where Serizawa and the Roshigumi’s members were concerned, before finally drifting into more casual conversation toward the end of the evening. Serizawa continued to be a complication which they had yet to reach a resolution about, though they all did agree that until he did something more significantly disruptive than disagree with them and provoke Hijikata, they would have to hold off on doing anything further to attempt to restrain the man. 

Days later Sannan sat in his room, adding notes from his most recent conversations with Nimi to the updated portions of his records containing the research that had been done on the ochimizu. From what Nimi had told him it sounded as if several more modifications had been made to the serum, and he suspected that Nimi would make another attempt to test the substance in the near future. As he paused to look over what he had just written Sannan heard Heisuke shift behind him. The younger man had come to his room a short time ago wearing a troubled expression, which clearly indicated that he had been thinking deeply about something.

“Sannan-san, what’s going to happen to Ryunosuke?” asked Heisuke quietly, his eyes remaining locked on Sannan’s back for a few moments longer before his gaze dropped toward the floor. 

_…So this was what had been troubling him…_ thought Sannan suppressing a sigh as he lowered his brush to rest on the edge of his inkstone, though he did not turn around to face Heisuke. He too had been concerned lately by Ibuki’s continued presence among the Roshigumi, despite still refusing to join as a member of their ranks, insisting that he only planned to stay until he had repaid his debt to Serizawa. Things within the group were beginning to accelerate toward a shift, which might well find the young man trapped between a rock and a hard place depending on exactly how things played out. Along with Ibuki’s loyalty to Serizawa, such as it was, he had also noted that the young man had begun to form bonds with some of the other members of the Roshigumi as well, such as Saito, Nagakura, and perhaps even Yamazaki, in addition to his connection with Heisuke. 

After a few moments had passed, Sannan’s eyes flicked back toward where Heisuke sat as he spoke. “Meaning what?”

Heisuke lowered his head, a faint frown surfacing in his eyes as he pieced his thoughts together while speaking. “He’s a… good guy. He’s super honest.” 

Leaning forward, Heisuke’s eyes closed as he became more caught up in the intensity of his feelings on the subject. He was well aware that unlike the other members of the Roshigumi, Ryunosuke’s perspective and role differed from his and that of the other members of the Roshigumi. If push came to shove, with Ryunosuke still around, he worried what might happen to his friend, who was only now beginning to learn how to even defend himself. 

“…Really, he shouldn’t be in a place like this!” insisted Heisuke in a fervent tone, looking back up toward where Sannan sat.

Sannan’s felt his shoulders fall minutely at the intensity in Heisuke’s voice. There was little he could do either about the situation, or to offer comfort to Heisuke in regards to Ibuki, especially as long as the young man continued to place himself on both sides of the increasingly strained union between Serizawa and the Roshigumi. 

“I understand what you are getting at, Toudou-kun. But you see, he has learned too much about us.” murmured Sannan, his brows drawing together as his gaze fixed on the wall in front of him, ignoring the way that Heisuke slumped behind him letting out a quiet breath. 

It was after all, far too late for Ibuki to remove himself from their company, regardless of which side he might ultimately end up on. He simply knew far too much about the Roshigumi’s secrets to be permitted to do anything other than remain with them, regardless of what conclusion the evolving situation reached.


	6. Chapter 6

Several days had passed since Kondou-san, Hijikata-kun, Serizawa-san and a few of the others had returned from a brief mission in Osaka, where the services of the Roshigumi had been requested to help guard a high ranking official there. The assignment itself been carried out without trouble, and Hijikata had shared after their return to Kyoto that he and Kondou-san had also found time to meet with the head of the sumo wrestling stable to hammer out the final details of the fundraising demonstration match. They had agreed to host the event in collaboration with the Roshigumi, and it was to take place in the near future. 

While the majority of their time in Osaka had met with success there had been one incident which had somewhat tainted the experience, and from the way Hijikata had spoken of it when reporting the details of the trip to him, Sannan noted that it that Hijikata had found it to be particularly distasteful. When Hijikata had recounted how Serizawa had maneuvered him into cutting off the distressed geishas’ hair, a passing thought of Takumi-san had crossed Sannan’s mind. He felt a brief moment of relief that she had not been one of the women in this instance, and that to his knowledge she had never encountered Serizawa-san in Shimabara. 

Still, despite whatever inconvenience it might cause for the women, in his opinion Hijikata had been correct in acting as he had. Having had his own confrontations with Serizawa in the past Sannan thought it would have been difficult to stop Serizawa from acting out in a potentially even more extreme manner otherwise, and surely the loss of their hair was a small price for them to pay compared to the alternative. After all, how likely was it that their okiya would refuse to allow them to remain until their hair had regrown.

However at the moment, other concerns occupied Sannan’s mind as his brush moved over the page in front of him. 

Earlier that day, one of the Roshigumi’s members had been placed under arrest for having committed various crimes which went against their code of conduct. At the time that Saiki had been taken into custody Sannan had been with Nimi, who had grudgingly allowed Sannan to accompany him down to the hidden space below the floor of the building where the men who had been test subjects for the ochimizu were kept confined in cells or chained to one of the walls. Sannan suppressed a slight shudder as he recalled the restless and mindless way that the restrained furies had jerked at and lunged against their bonds when either he or Nimi had moved closer while observing their reactions to various stimuli. 

While there Nimi had let it slip that he and Serizawa intended to confront Saiki with his crimes later that evening. Knowing Nimi’s eagerness to further test the ochimizu on new subjects, he assumed that at some point during Nimi and Serizawa’s questioning, the man would be offered a choice between committing seppuku, or drinking the serum. With that being the likely scenario, Sannan intended to include himself in the interrogation. 

Looking up from his work Sannan saw that the light outside had dimmed considerably since he had begun, and that it was nearly time for Saiki’s questioning to start. Setting his papers aside Sannan rose from his desk, pausing for a moment to stretch limbs that had gone stiff from sitting in place for so long, before crossing his room toward the door. 

Just after entering the Yagi estate Sannan had encountered Serizawa, who was returning from somewhere in town, and when questioned about a reason for his presence had requested to join in the interrogation of Saiki. By this time Nimi had joined them, and though he had somewhat protested Sannan’s inclusion at first, Nimi had eventually given in accompanying them as they walked the short distance that remained to the building where Saiki was being held.

When they had first stepped inside the building Saiki had looked up sharply, his expression fearful for a moment before he appeared to steel himself for what lay ahead of him. By now the questioning had been going on for some time and while Saiki had put up a front of being unafraid, his facade gradually began to crack over time as his offenses were laid out, and further details of them were revealed. As he stood nearby listening, Sannan took mental notes of the people and places from whom Saiki had extorted money, so that he could inform Hijikata and Kondo as to where reparations may need to be made.

“Using Serizawa-sensei’s name to take various loans is a hefty crime.” Nimi was saying as he surveyed the man in front of him with a disapproving frown, appearing to have finished coaxing whatever information he could out of Saiki. “When you combine that with how you stole his pouch and pawned it off to clear your debt…”

Serizawa meanwhile seemed to have grown tired of the proceedings, which had admittedly being going on for several hours, as he spoke in a commanding tone. “You have strayed from the way of the warrior! Commit honorable suicide.”

Saiki’s gaze moved from Nimi to look up at Serizawa, his expression becoming frightened. “P-please forgive me!” he cried. Sweat began to break out on his forehead as he leaned forward as much as his bonds would allow while he continued begging for his life to be spared. “Never again… I will never act so disgracefully ever again!” Saiki added as he bent his head, bowing before Serizawa as much as he was able. “Please! Please!” 

“Then I will give you a choice.” said Serizawa, though he appeared unmoved by Saiki’s pleas. 

Saiki sat back up, looking questioningly at Serizawa as he echoed the man’s words in a confused tone. “A… choice?” 

Nimi spoke up from where he was seated in front of Saiki, causing the bound man to look over at him as he placed a glass vial containing a translucent red liquid on the floor between them. “Slice open your gut or drink this medicine.” 

“M-medicine?” repeated Saiki, looking down at the container that had been set in front of him with an uncertain expression. No doubt attempting to determine just what was inside it, even though its distinctive color set it apart from most other medicines that he would have been likely to have encountered before.

Frowning, Sannan shifted his focus from his study of Saiki and the bottle sitting on the floor, to glance toward Nimi. “Isn’t that the ochimizu?” 

“Right. I have refined it.” said Nimi, half-turning for a moment to glance back over his shoulder at Sannan. Then turning back toward Saiki, who had been watching their brief exchange with an expression that suggested he was attempting to find even one hint of what was happening, Nimi continued. “There is a chance you may survive if you drink it. What do you say?”

Saiki thought for a moment or two, his teeth sunk into his lower lip as he tried to come to a decision, before squeezing his eyes closed as he spoke. “I-I’ll drink it! I’ll take that medicine or anything you like!” shouted Saiki, his hands clenching into fists where they were tied behind his back. “I just don’t want to slice myself open!” 

“Serizawa-san, shouldn’t we wait until after we have consulted with Kondou-san and Hijikata-kun?” asked Sannan, looking over at Serizawa, who stood beside him. While he could not help but be curious to see the result of the newest modifications to the ochimizu, he had agreed to do as Hijikata asked in delaying Nimi’s tests as much as possible. Additionally waiting for Hijikata and Kondo to arrive would allow time for Saiki to reconsider his decision. Either way however Sannan felt his opportunity to control the situation beginning to slip away as Serizawa replied.

Serizawa shook his head minutely, keeping his gaze fixed on Saiki and Nimi while speaking. “That is unnecessary. This decision belongs to Saiki alone.”

Sannan felt his lips thin as he pressed them together, attempting to formulate a rebuttal and further request for a delay until Hijikata and Kondo could join them, before the sound of something falling to the floor startled him from his thoughts. Looking back down, he saw that in the few moments that had passed Nimi had un-stoppered the vial of ochimizu, as if fearing his chance to use it was in danger, and was already holding the edge of the bottle to Saiki’s lips. 

As he and Serizawa watched, the eerie red liquid began to disappear from the container as Nimi tilted it, nearly pouring the ochimizu down Saiki’s throat. Moments later Saiki bent until his forehead nearly rested on the floor, beginning to writhe against his bonds as his sounds of desperation began to give way to painful shouts. Sannan watched intently, his hand unconsciously moving toward his sword as he recalled how quickly the previously transformed men had broken free from the cords that had bound them. 

With another cry Saiki sat up, squeezing his eyes even more tightly closed, while gritting his teeth against the pain and the final scream that escaped him. Moments later the color of Saiki’s hair began to fade, turning snow white as the transformation completed itself. In an instant the excruciating pain that had gripped him seemed to vanish, and Saiki’s eyes snapped open, now glowing red. 

A laugh slipped from Saiki’s lips, which pulled back further from his teeth in a vicious smile. “Power is welling up inside of me!” he murmured, the sound of his voice now carrying an odd tonal quality, which only emphasized his bizarre appearance.

It was not Saiki’s appearance however which held Sannan’s attention, but rather that unlike the men whose transformations had preceded him, Saiki had not yet flown into an attack on them. Even beyond that was the marvel that Saiki was coherent enough to report the sensations he was experiencing. 

Sannan couldn’t suppress the surge of excitement that he felt. Their efforts with the ochimizu had finally been met with success. Now the possibilities of its benefits to the Roshigumi could also be realized, and with it their forces strength would be able to grow even further. Now the recognition they had sought for the group and Kondo was quite possibly nearly within their grasp, as their abilities would be unmatched in battle. And they had fulfilled the Bakufu’s request as well, meaning it would be impossible for them to be overlooked and ignored any longer.

“He hasn’t lost his sanity even though he has become a fury!” said Sannan, unable to keep the awed tone out of his voice entirely.

“It- It worked!” cried Nimi excitedly as he stared wide-eyed at Saiki.

A sudden low growl began to emanate from Saiki as he suddenly bent forward once more, straining against the ropes wrapped around his upper body. Moments later the cords snapped under Saiki’s efforts and his arms were freed. Turning sharply Saiki drove his fist into Nimi’s abdomen, doubling the other man over as the breath was forced from his lungs. As Nimi collapsed to the floor Saiki pulled one of Nimi’s swords from its sheath. 

Sannan’s excitement vanished, and he pushed aside his feeling of disappointment and failure as he drew his sword. Ahead of him Serizawa rushed forward with a shout, his own weapon already drawn as he closed in on Saiki. He watched as Saiki managed to block Serizawa’s blow, returning it with enough force to throw Serizawa aside. 

As Serizawa fell, Sannan ran toward Saiki, bringing his blade up sharply in a slash that was meant to decapitate him. To his amazement Saiki was able to avoid the blow and seconds later, in a display that would otherwise have been impressive, had somersaulted over Sannan’s head and was now behind him. Sannan spun, chasing after Saiki as the other man raced toward the door, clearly intending to flee.

“I don’t want to die!” shouted Saiki as he reached the door and slammed it open, darting out into the courtyard before turning back toward his pursuer. 

Sannan had time to aim one final slash at Saiki before the other man leapt over the wall that encircled the estate. 

“I don’t want to die!” Saiki cried out once more as he vanished from view.

Sannan couldn’t help gaping somewhat as he tilted his head back to watch as Saiki landed on top of the wall for a moment before disappearing. His brow knitting in irritation, Sannan gritted his teeth as he lowered his sword. “Damnit!” 

The sound of footfalls rapidly approaching pulled Sannan’s attention away from where Saiki had been, and he looked over to see Hijikata running toward him with sword drawn, likely having heard Saiki’s final shouts. As he came up beside Sannan, Hijikata’s eyes darted around the area before fixing on Sannan. 

“What happened?!” asked Hijikata gruffly, his brows drawn together in a stormy expression.

“Should you be standing around when you have an escaped fury to deal with, Hijikata-kun?” asked Serizawa as he emerged from the building, his lip curling in a slight smirk as he looked down at Hijikata for a moment before walking away. Nimi followed close on Serizawa’s heels, still looking a bit disheveled and breathless after having the wind knocked from him, though he also appeared quite eager to avoid being detained by Hijikata or Sannan.

Hijikata’s glare sharpened as he gritted his teeth, and for a moment Sannan thought that he was about to chase after Serizawa and Nimi to demand an explanation, before he instead turned back to Sannan. “What’s he talking about Sannan-san?” 

Sannan let out a slight sigh as he lowered his sword. “After being questioned, Saiki-san decided to drink the ochimizu, rather than commit seppuku. …Somehow he was able to retain his sanity and managed to escape before he could be stopped.” 

“He what-?” began Hijikata before being interrupted by a new voice, as the first of the Roshigumi’s captains began to arrive. 

“…So which way did he go Sannan-san?” asked Okita, his gaze flicking around the area for a moment before settling back on Sannan and Hijikata. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get far.” 

Hijikata frowned, starting to shake his head as he opened his mouth to respond to Okita’s statement. Just then the rest of the Roshigumi’s captains joined them, all speaking nearly at once, until a shout from Hijikata silenced them. 

“That’s enough!” shouted Hijikata, the momentary glance he shot toward Okita indicating that he wasn’t finished with him yet, before he continued on to address the others. “We’ll work in teams to take down Saiki. …Harada and Heisuke, you two are together. Shinpachi and Saito, you’ll be the other team.” 

Okita frowned as Hijikata fell silent, clearly refusing to assign him to the task of hunting down Saiki as well. His expression twisted in annoyance before he stepped forward, locking eyes with Hijikata. “Aren’t you forgetting someone?” 

“Souji, you’re staying here. …I don’t want you out there on your own.” said Hijikata shaking his head before looking away from the younger man dismissively. 

“What?!” Okita snapped, his voice rising angrily as he fixed Hijikata with a furious glare. “How come you’re trying to stop me Hijikata-san?” 

Hijikata drew a long suffering breath before starting to turn back toward Okita, now looking equally annoyed. 

“I’ll go with him Toshi-san.” offered Inoue, who at some point had also joined the group. 

Hijikata looked over at Inoue, and he hesitated for a moment longer before finally inclining his head in a short nod. Turning his attention back to the assembled captains Hijikata continued issuing his orders. “We need to take Saiki out as quickly as possible. …And don’t let your attention wander out there. Sannan-san says that Saiki was still sane when he got away, so he’s more dangerous than any of the furies we’ve had to deal with before.” 

A surprised murmur ran through the captains and they exchanged glances with each other for a moment before Harada spoke. “Don’t worry. …I’m sure we’ll all be on our guard. Right?” he finished, looking around at the others. 

The other captains nodded as they voiced their agreement, before turning to hurry out of the Yagi estate as Hijikata ordered them to set out on their task. After they had gone Hijikata looked over at Sannan, who by now had sheathed his sword and stood watching as he waited for Hijikata’s next move. 

“…In the meantime, I want to have a word with Serizawa-san and Nimi-san about this.” said Hijikata, glancing over at Sannan out of the corner of his eye before turning to head in the direction that the pair had gone earlier. 

Sannan hummed quietly in acknowledgement, watching for a moment as Hijikata’s form faded into the surrounding darkness before following after him.

After the captains had spent the night searching for Saiki, Hijikata finally called off the search around dawn, since with the rising of the sun Saiki would be forced to go into hiding until nightfall. The men gradually made their way back to the Roshigumi’s headquarters, clearly worn from the long night and disappointed with the lack of success in their efforts. Unfortunately while the captains had been unable to locate Saiki, shortly after the sun rose, Yamazaki had returned to headquarters with news that provided them with a possible place to begin their hunt that evening. As the captains had already retired to get some sleep, Hijikata had ultimately decided to reserve the information that one of their members had been found dead for when they assembled later in the day before resuming the search. After hearing his report, Hijikata sent Yamazaki off with further orders to rest for a few hours before going back out to uncover whatever else he could. 

Once Yamazaki had gone Hijikata briefly glanced over at Sannan out of the corner of his eye, grumbling quietly as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose with one hand.

“Just how big a mess is this going to turn into?” Hijikata muttered so softly that Sannan almost couldn’t make out what he’d said. A moment later Hijikata shook his head before focusing his attention on Sannan as he let his hand fall. He let out a breath in a frustrated sigh. “I guess there’s not much else we can do right now though, except wait. You might as well turn in too Sannan-san,… at least one of us should get some sleep, since I’ve got work to get back to.” 

Sannan hummed in acknowledgement of Hijikata’s words, hesitating for a moment as he studied Hijikata before speaking. “Actually, …If I might have a word with you, Hijikata-kun.” 

A slight frown came to Hijikata’s face as he returned Sannan’s study, before finally nodding. “Let’s take this somewhere else. No point in standing around waiting for someone to listen in.” Hijikata said before motioning for Sannan to follow him as he led the way to his quarters.

After entering his room Hijikata sat down on the zabuton that sat in front of his desk while Sannan closed the door behind them, giving voice to his frustration over the night’s events. “What a pain. …Who’d have thought that Nimi-san would still do this even when he knows we’re watching him?”

“He likely felt that it was worth the risk Hijikata-kun.” replied Sannan as he seated himself on one of the other zabuton that was in the room. Resting loosely curled fingers on his lap he looked across the room at Hijikata as he continued. “…If the ochimizu is perfected, not only would it have benefits for the Roshigumi and the Bakufu, but numerous other groups would be interested in it as well.” 

Hijikata snorted derisively, though his lack of dispute indicated that he did pick up on Sannan’s unspoken word of caution in regard to Nimi’s trustworthiness. Hijikata frowned, his eyes going distant as he gazed toward the far wall for a few moments before speaking. “That stuff isn’t just Nimi-san’s work though. …Don’t forget Sannan-san, Yukimura Kodo has a hand in it too. …And who knows what he’d plan to do with it.” 

“This time I am also partially to blame for what happened, as I failed to stop the fury from escaping.” said Sannan after nodding in response to Hijikata’s comment. “…However, I will continue to monitor Nimi-san’s activities. I believe that is the most that can be done for now.” 

Hijikata sighed, looking frustrated and even a bit weary as he folded his arms across his chest. Despite his consuming involvement with Nimi and the research into the ochimizu, Sannan was still aware that the pressures of helping to lead the Roshigumi, not to mention the continual appearance of difficulties for the group from both within and without, weighed heavily on Hijikata. Even so in spite of Hijikata’s present worries, the subject which had caused him to ask to speak with Hijikata could not remain unaddressed.

“Setting that aside, there is still another matter that needs to be discussed,… about Okita-kun.” began Sannan as he prepared himself for what might become a tense conversation. “You must be aware of the potential repercussions of allowing the relationship that he has with yourself and Kondo-san to worsen as it has.” 

When Hijikata looked over at him sharply, Sannan paused, waiting to see if there was something that the other man wanted to say. He sat silently as Hijikata studied him for a minute or two while frowning slightly, before Hijikata finally grunted in response, moving a hand slightly to indicate that Sannan should continue. 

Letting out a breath, Sannan pressed onward, monitoring Hijikata’s expression as he spoke. “Holding him back from serving the Roshigumi to the extent that the other captains do because of some conflict, particularly when it occurs in the manner it did earlier, will only make the situation more difficult.” said Sannan, pausing a moment to let his words sink in and allow his next statement greater impact. “…Not to mention that Okita-kun is more than skilled enough to be a valuable asset to the group, and in helping to further our efforts.” 

Hijikata’s frown deepened and Sannan watched as a muscle in his jaw worked for several moments as he thought, visibly hesitating before speaking. “I know that.” murmured Hijikata as he sighed, shaking his head. He glanced at Sannan for a moment before looking away again as he continued. “…That’s not why I’m doing it…” 

Picking up on the uncertainty in Hijikata’s tone and attitude, Sannan raised an eyebrow as he tilted his head. “…Then if that is the case, what are your intentions regarding Okita-kun?” 

“What are you trying to say Sannan-san?” asked Hijikata, his eyes narrowing in response to Sannan’s question as he looked back over at him.

Sannan sat back, spreading one hand at his side for a moment before returning it to his lap. “…You have in the past suggested that he return to Edo… Should it be assumed that your position on the matter is unchanged?”

Hijikata’s gaze seemed to turn inward, and he looked down for several minutes while thinking, before finally looking back up at Sannan as he shook his head. “No. …But given the way he’s been acting since we got here, I don’t feel comfortable about letting him have too much of a free reign either.” His frown returned as he folded his arm across his chest before continuing. “I don’t know if he’s just that desperate to measure up to the others, or if he’s just decided he likes killing, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to let him keep going the way he has so far.” 

Hijikata’s eyes bored into Sannan’s as he continued, an increasing level of frustration beginning to creep into his voice. “I mean, …Does he know why the way he acted after that fight with the sumo wrestlers in Osaka was a problem? Right now, I’m not sure if he understands that taking a life matters. Even though we have to do it sometimes, it’s not something that he should be flippant about.” 

After finishing what he had been saying, Hijikata fell silent with a perturbed sigh as his shoulders slumped and he allowed himself to lean back slightly against the edge of his desk. Hijikata closed his eyes for a moment, before reopening them to stare at the floor in front of him while thinking. It was clear to Sannan from the troubled frown Hijikata wore, that he had no idea how he should deal with Okita now, and was plainly bothered by that fact. While it was undeniable that Okita’s issues required attention and direction, Hijikata had his own burdens to deal with, and issues which might well prevent him from being able to address Okita’s properly.

Finally after some time had passed without either of them speaking, Sannan cleared his throat softly, drawing Hijikata’s attention back toward him. “Hijikata-kun,… Perhaps it would be best if you left it to me to take responsibility for Okita-kun in this matter?”

“…Leave it to you?” echoed Hijikata uncertainly, sounding as if he were surprised by the suggestion.

Sannan nodded in response to Hijikata’s questioning look before beginning to explain. “In this instance, someone with whom he has a less complicated relationship, may be able to resolve things with him more smoothly.” He paused, weighing his word choice for a moment before continuing, hoping to avoid rousing any objections in Hijikata. “…Both you and Kondo-san are quite close to Okita-kun, and thus view him in a particular way, which dictates your treatment of him.” 

Hijikata frowned, studying Sannan intently as he considered the idea. Meanwhile Sannan sat patiently under Hijikata’s observation, allowing him time to come to a decision as pressing for a fast answer was unlikely to garner the desired result. Naturally Hijikata, after so many years of tending to Okita as a younger brother, felt responsible for his care. He also no doubt was reluctant to forsake that role, and to risk taking a course which involved abandoning the younger man and leaving him to be ‘someone else’s problem’, even if that other person was also someone whom he trusted and who had also known Okita for quite a while. 

After a few more minutes, Hijikata nodded, exhaling in a forceful sigh as he unfolded his arms from across his chest. He still appeared displeased with the idea, but for now seemed to have decided to accept the potential solution.

“Thank you Hijikata-kun.” said Sannan inclining his head in a nod. A few moments later he rose from where he had been seated, intending to bring their discussion to a close since the matter of Okita had been decided. Sannan offered Hijikata a slight smile as he spoke. “...Now I believe we should both attempt to get some rest before this evening, since we will have other obligations to occupy us then.” 

A wry smile twisted Hijikata’s lips as he nodded in agreement, though his eyes still strayed toward the unfinished work left piled on and beside his desk. “I guess you have a point.” 

Stepping out of Hijikata’s room Sannan walked a little ways across the grounds before pausing to look back over his shoulder in the direction he had come from. He closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, shaking off the residual tension of the conversation, which had gone as well as could be expected. Resuming walking back toward his room after a few moments, Sannan shook his head as he thought about Hijikata and the reluctance with which he had agreed to what had been proposed.

 _…Kondou-san is not the only one who coddles Okita-kun, Hijikata-kun._ thought Sannan, a faint smile coming to his lips as he reflected on the slight criticism of Kondo’s handling of Okita that Hijikata had on rare occasions voiced. _…Both of you have known him since he was a child, and can’t seem to help viewing him in a similar manner now. …And as a result you both try to prevent him from taking on roles which might cause his hands to be stained with blood. …Even if Okita-kun himself has reached a point where no longer feels the need to be protected from such things._

However, for now at least the situation regarding Okita had been settled.

Meanwhile, though Sannan would have liked to join the others in catching up on some rest, the most he would allow himself for now was a moment to collect his thoughts before setting out into town. He was aware that Yamazaki had been sent out to gather what details he could about Sasaki’s death, but even so Sannan had yet another potential source of information which he wanted to consult.

Sannan had met with Kumiko again several more times since the first occasion where they had shared tea together, including for the tea ceremony she had proposed. In that time he had found that she had a keen awareness of what happened around Kyoto despite staying mostly within Shimabara, gained both through her interactions with her customers and patron, as well as via the view of the city that could be seen from the window of her room at the okiya. He had even once walked back to Kumiko’s okiya with her where she had pointed out where her room was located and explained that she had a small telescope which had been given to her by her patron, who was a merchant, which expanded what she was able to see. 

It was in front of that same okiya where Sannan now stood, watching as the early morning traffic of business people preparing for the day ahead crossed back and forth in front of the building. Pushing his glasses further up his nose Sannan crossed the street when there was a break in the crowd, and as he approached the building, he was reassured to think that he might have picked out Takumi-san’s voice among the faint strains of music being practiced and that of women’s voices in conversation which emanated from it. 

Coming to a stop outside the okiya, Sannan spoke briefly with the shikomi sweeping outside the doorway of the building before the girl bowed as she asked him to wait, and turned to disappear into the doorway behind her. A few minutes went by before Sannan caught sight of movement in the dimness beyond the doorway and straightened but rather than the girl returning or Kumiko arriving, an older woman emerged, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed him while wearing an almost imperceptible frown. 

“Was there something you wanted, Sir?” asked the woman after a moment as she bowed slightly.

Sannan returned the woman’s bow, then nodded as he straightened. “Yes,… I would like to speak with Takumi Kumiko.” 

The woman, who Sannan had by now decided was probably the owner of the okiya, pressed her lips together as she surveyed him once more. “…I’m afraid that she is unavailable at the moment.” 

“Please.” said Sannan sighing quietly before bowing once again as he continued. “If you would just inform Takumi-san that Sannan Keisuke wishes to speak with her,… I believe that she will agree to see me. …It should only take a few moments of her time.” He added as he tipped his head up a little to look at the woman’s expression.

Sannan felt the woman’s eyes bore into him for a few moments longer before she let out a breath, nodding slightly. Instructing him to wait once again, the older woman went back inside the okiya, then returned a minute or two later to lead him to a small room near the main entrance. After a short wait there was a soft knock at the door, followed by a request for entry, spoken in a familiar voice.

“This is a rather unexpected visit Sannan-han.” said Kumiko, with a faintly teasing lilt to her voice, as she stepped into the room, sliding the shoji door closed behind her. “…It must have been quite urgent for you to see me, that you would request my presence so early in the day.” 

As Kumiko turned she caught sight of the seriousness of Sannan’s expression, which perhaps also carried a hint of exhaustion after the long night, and the playful smile she wore faded. When she moved to sit in front of Sannan the look she now wore matched the gravity of his. “…What is it that you wanted to speak with me about Sannan-han?” 

Letting out a breath Sannan inclined his head in a singular nod, appreciative of the jump straight toward the purpose of his visit. “…I wanted to know if you had heard rumors of anything unusual occurring either late last night or in the very early hours of the morning. …And if so, any details concerning those events.” 

“…Rumors of strange events?...” murmured Kumiko, her brow knitting slightly as she studied Sannan while thinking, before her eyes widened in sudden understanding. “…You mean the deaths at Suzakuno Senpon Way last night. …The two women, and the young man who was found with them.” 

A moment passed, and Sannan caught in Kumiko’s eyes the moment that she came to the realization that Sasaki had been a member of the Roshigumi, before he nodded. “Anything that you may have heard could be useful.”

Lifting a hand Kumiko signaled for Sannan to wait for a moment, before moving back toward the door. When she opened it, he could see another shikomi sitting just outside it, waiting in the event that there was anything she would be required to bring. This shikomi was even younger than the first one he had encountered, not yet even into adolescence, and she bowed hastily to the floor as Kumiko opened the door. At a word from Kumiko the girl sat up, her eyes looking into the room curiously for a moment before fixing themselves on Kumiko once more. 

“Please repeat the story you told me about this morning.” instructed Kumiko firmly, causing the child’s eyes to drop toward the floor before she began speaking.

“When I was in the market, I heard some of the people talking about the bodies that were discovered last night. …Someone was saying that it looked like they’d been attacked by something, because there were so many injuries that a person wouldn’t have done it, so it had to have been an animal of some kind. But another person said that he thought it had to have been a person-…” said the girl, her fists curling tighter in her lap as she continued. She went on to relay the rest of the discussion she had overheard before finally reaching a few details which piqued Sannan’s interest and all but confirmed that it was Saiki who had performed the murders.

“…Then another man said that he had been there just after they were found, and that with as pale as they all were, there should have been more blood. He’d also said that some of the other people he’d talked to insisted that they heard what must have been a huge animal growling, but had been too afraid to look outside…” 

After the girl concluded and fell silent Kumiko glanced back over her shoulder, to see if there was anything he wanted to ask. Sannan shook his head in response to her unspoken question. The child’s account had been through enough to satisfy his suspicions, and provided several points for Yamazaki to confirm. 

Inclining her head to Sannan, Kumiko looked back toward the girl. “Thank you… You may return to your other duties.” she said. The girl bowed in response, making a final attempt to sneak a glance past Kumiko before the shoji door was slid closed. 

A few moments passed, presumably to allow the girl to depart, before Kumiko turned putting on a faint smile which failed to completely mask the almost imperceptible knit of her brow. “…Natsuko-chan came back from the market so afraid that she’s refused to go back outside since, in case the animal she’d heard about makes its way here.” Kumiko paused, her concern becoming more obvious as she bit her lip for a moment. “…But,… it couldn’t have been an animal. No animal large enough would have come so far inside the city. …Right?” 

Sannan let out his breath in a sigh. Obviously there was no way that he could reveal the existence of furies or of the experiments being performed to her, in spite of the trust they had begun to grow. Still Sannan decided that he could at least attempt to alleviate Takumi-san’s worries. 

“Regardless of what may have been the cause of the deaths, whether human or animal…” began Sannan, putting on a reassuring smile. “I have little doubt that shortly, there will no longer be any further need for concern.” 

He watched as Takumi-san’s eyes searched his expression for a several moments before her lips parted slightly, her expression revealing that she had correctly understood his statement to mean that the culprit would not be permitted to escape the Roshigumi.

Lowering her chin as her eyes fell closed, Kumiko bent forward in a low bow. “...Thank you, Sannan-han.” 

Later that day, shortly before nightfall when Hijikata and Kondo were to leave with Serizawa to attend a courtesy sumo demonstration at Gion Temple, the Roshigumi’s captains were called to the common room so they could be updated with the information that had been found and plans could be made for that night’s hunt for the escaped fury. Sannan watched as the captains arrived and sat down in front of where he, Kondo, and Hijikata were sitting. After a few moments passed Hijikata glanced over at Kondo, receiving a nod in reply to his look, before clearing his throat as he turned back to the assembled captains and began.

“Fellow corps member Sasaki was killed at Suzakuno Senpon Way with a woman.” said Hijikata, drawing several surprised murmurs from the others. He waited a moment to let them absorb the news before continuing. “We believe the culprit was Saiki, who has become a fury.” 

Several of the captains frowned, among them Harada and Nagakura, but it was Heisuke who spoke up. “Got any proof?” asked the young captain, his expression serious as he looked at Hijikata.

Sannan took over the mission briefing from Hijikata, to answer Heisuke’s question. “The locals are talking about how they heard animal-like growls. Furthermore, there was hardly any blood left in the corpses.”

Following the lead that had been provided to them during Sannan’s consultation with Takumi-san, Yamazaki had been able to confirm the story told by the young servant girl. Yamazaki had even managed to examine the bodies, enough to see that amid the deep slashed wounds there had been scattered the marks of teeth. 

“He drank their blood? That’s messed up!” said Shinpachi after having exchanged a glance with Harada who sat near him, his brows drawing together in a deep frown as he looked back toward the front of the room.

From behind Shinpachi, Saito spoke up reciting a bit of what he had overheard earlier, as he had been nearby when Yamazaki had returned to give his report on what he had learned. “Supposedly Sasaki died trying to defend the young lady.” 

“He protected his woman, didn’t he? Until the very end…” said Harada quietly, lowering his gaze to stare at the loosely clenched fist he held in front of himself. Sannan recalled that Sasaki had been a member of Harada’s unit and like the others in the tenth division, had been closely looked after by the captain who would now mourn his loss. Though Harada’s tone suggested that he had accepted, and perhaps even approved of how Sasaki had met his end.

Bringing their attention back to the matter at hand, Hijikata pressed onward. “We must find Saiki as soon as possible and kill him.” he stated firmly.

As Hijikata paused, Kondo spoke next, issuing his orders to the men, following the tactic that had been discussed earlier in the day. “I would like you to split up and begin searching for him right away.”

“Nagakura-kun, Harada-kun, search Shimogyou.” said Sannan, looking briefly at the two captains who spoke up in succession to acknowledge the orders they had received. “Toudou-kun, Inoue-san, search Nakagyou.” Sannan added glancing over at Heisuke who nodded along with Inoue, before finally turning his attention to the final captain whom he, Hijikata, and Kondo had agreed to assign to this mission. “Okita-kun, please search Kawaramachi.” 

The decision to allow Okita to operate alone, particularly in the area to which he was assigned had not been well received at first, in spite of the agreement which Hijikata had made to allow Sannan to oversee Okita from now on. However in the end, Sannan had managed to use his arguments to persuade both men to agree to his suggestion. 

An expression of surprise crossed Okita’s face for a moment and his gaze strayed toward Hijikata, who kept his eyes fixed on the back of the room, before looking back at Sannan. Okita’s gaze was speculative, but he spoke without hesitation, and perhaps even a trace of challenge in his tone as he glanced back Hijikata almost imperceptibly once more. “Isn’t the Choshu Domain’s mansion in Kawaramachi? You want me going somewhere that dangerous?” 

Having watched the conflict grow increasingly obvious between Okita and Hijikata over the years, Okita’s reaction was unsurprising. Hoping to avoid allowing any further trouble to be stirred up, Sannan spoke before Hijikata could lose patience with Okita’s attention, drawing Okita’s focus to himself. “I’m asking you to go precisely because it is dangerous.” 

Okita hummed as his eyebrows rose slightly, before he nodded approvingly. “Very well then.” 

“If you find the fury, please be sure to kill him!” said Sannan, holding Okita’s gaze intently. 

After a moment Okita lowered his chin in a nod, a faint hint of an eager smile curving his lips as he maintained Sannan’s eye contact. “But of course.” 

The rest of the assignments for the search were handed out in short order to Saito, Yamazaki and Shimada before Hijikata and Kondo voiced their final bits of information and warnings for caution. After the briefing was dismissed everyone scattered out from the compound to carry out their missions, while Hijikata and Kondo paused to exchange a few words with Sannan before leaving to meet up with Serizawa, leaving Sannan behind to remain in charge of things at headquarters and oversee the search.

After a number of hours of fruitless searching the captains had begun to return to headquarters to regroup after covering their assigned areas, and to plan out where they should begin looking next. Most of them had gathered in the common room, Harada leaned back against one wall and Heisuke sat near him as they rested before going back out. Meanwhile Ibuki attempted to be helpful, having made tea while everyone else was out and was moving around the room with a loaded tray of filled cups, offering them to the others. 

Sannan sighed quietly as he watched the activity, one part of his mind occupied by thoughts of where else Saiki might go, or where he might be drawn if Saiki had ended up succumbing to the bloodlust and gone mad like all the other furies. As the captains had begun to returning to the compound to report their inability to locate any sign of Saiki, he sent Yamazaki and Shimada back out to gather further intelligence, in hopes of pinning down a new area for the men to search. Meanwhile Okita-kun had taken up a post near the front gate, awaiting Yamazaki or Shimada’s return.

The sound of conversation outside pulled Sannan from his thoughts, and apparently attracted the attention of some of the other captains as well, as they looked toward the open door at the sound of Yamazaki’s voice. As Sannan got to his feet, Nagakura moved to rouse Heisuke and Harada who stirred as Sannan passed by them on his way outside. Listening from a short distance away Sannan could overhear the exchange as Yamazaki gave his report to Okita, after which the first division captain ordered Yamazaki to alert Hijikata and Kondo to the situation as well before setting out himself in pursuit of the fury. 

Though Sannan thought that it would have been better for Okita to have relayed Yamazaki’s report and inform either himself or one of the other commanders of his intentions before setting out, Okita’s actions had been acceptable for now. And Okita had at least had the foresight to send Yamazaki on to report to Hijikata and Kondo, nodding to himself, Sannan turned back to see that the other captains and Inoue had gathered behind him and were waiting for his orders. 

“The escaped fury has been located in Shimabara.” said Sannan, pausing a moment to let the captain’s murmurs of reaction die down. “Okita-kun and Ibuki-kun have already left in pursuit. …All of you are to go and help ensure that Okita-kun is successful in dealing with Saiki-san, and that the secret of the furies is not discovered by anyone in Shimabara.” 

After the other captains voiced their acceptance of the task and hurriedly dispersed, Sannan settled in to wait for the return of Okita-kun or any of the others. 

A short time later Okita returned to the compound with Ibuki trailing a few steps behind him. As they entered Sannan nodded at both of the young men. “Welcome back. …I trust that you were successful?” 

Okita nodded, his gaze following Ibuki for a moment as the dark haired young man excused himself before leaving. Looking back to Sannan, Okita added. “You don’t have to worry about that fury any more Sannan-san. I took care of him.” 

Sannan smiled slightly, nodding at Okita as he spoke. “Thank you Okita-kun. …Well done.” 

Humming Okita nodded in response, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly as he studied Sannan briefly before moving to cross the courtyard toward the well. Removing the cover from it Okita picked up the ladle nearby and began pouring water over the blade of his sword to clean it. As he worked a frown still knitted Okita’s brow, and a faint tension began to grow in the air as Okita thought, piecing things together and forming his suspicions into words until was almost palpable. It was certainly strong enough that Sannan was able to sense it, and he stood quietly nearby, waiting for Okita’s thoughts to be brought out into the open. 

After several more minutes passed Okita finally broke his silence, and though he glanced up from his work, Okita continued to act as if the majority of his attention was focused on his sword while speaking.

“Sannan-san, you wanted me to kill that fury, didn’t you?” asked Okita as he poured another ladle full of water over his blade, washing away more of the blood that coated it.

Sannan tilted his head to one side, acting as if he were puzzled by Okita’s words for a moment, before replying. “What would make you think that?”

Okita lifted his head, his lips twisting in a wry smirk. “You sent me to the most dangerous location, and deliberately pushed that I was to kill him, remember?” he asked, the faint glint in his eye indicating that he had seen through Sannan’s act of feigned ignorance effortlessly.

Sannan felt an answering smile curve his own lips for a moment, in response to Okita’s ability to read him, before he sobered. Lifting his chin slightly, he focused his gaze on Okita more intently. “It’s because you have great aptitude.”

“Aptitude?” asked Okita, frowning slightly as he finally looked up from his work to focus the majority of his attention on Sannan. It was clear from his expression that he was trying to figure out just what Sannan’s intentions were with the direction of their conversation, as well as determine what sort of aptitude Sannan was speaking of.

“Indeed.” replied Sannan nodding. “Aptitude to be our ‘sword’.” As Okita’s scrutiny continued, Sannan continued with his explanation by skipping over any further platitudes or roundaboutness, in order to come to the point of what he had intended to speak with Okita about. “Okita-kun it is vital that you become the sword for the Roshigumi.” 

Pausing with the filled ladle over his sword, Okita studied Sannan uncertainly. “The Roshigumi’s sword?” 

Sannan hummed in confirmation. “The rogue samurai fear Okita Souji’s sword and are awe-struck by the Roshigumi.” 

As he spoke Sannan continued to watch Okita, noting the way that the first division captain’s frown deepened while he carefully wiped the water from his sword with a cloth. There was little doubt in his mind that Okita was recalling all of the times in the recent past where either Hijikata or Kondo had become angry over Okita’s actions, and was contemplating how they might react to the suggestion Sannan was making now.

“Henceforth if you follow this course, I imagine your sword will get drenched in far more blood.” continued Sannan, putting a touch of earnestness into his tone as he pressed Okita more insistently. “But such efforts can be to the benefit of the Roshigumi and will increase our reputation and status. Even if it goes against the desires of our commander, Kondo-san, show no mercy as you cut men down.” 

Okita’s eyes lingered on the now dry blade of his sword, examining his own reflection as he thought for a few moments longer before shifting his gaze to Sannan, studying him with equal intensity. The pressure of Okita’s gaze probed at him, as if attempting to uncover his thoughts and motivation, but Sannan refused to let himself look away or break the growing tension that hung in the space between them. Considering what he was asking of Okita, to take on such a burden and to risk damaging his relationship with Kondo and Hijikata further, to do otherwise would be disrespectful.

Finally Okita let out a breath, breaking the intensity of their stare on his own as he looked away for a moment, a slight smile curving his lips. “I see Sannan-san. …Looks like you know me better than some of the other people around here…” 

Nodding, Sannan hummed in acknowledgment, forcing a smile onto his lips. “So you understand Okita-kun. …Though Hijikata-kun and Kondo-san may acknowledge your strength, what matters most to them is not your skill, but yourself.” He paused attempting to ignore the unpleasant sensation brought by the ease with which he had been able to get Okita to agree. “Their feelings for you prevent them from asking you to do what is needed for the Roshigumi, in order to protect you. …However, knowing your wish to aid Kondo-san’s cause, I am not above requesting your assistance.” 

Okita laughed slightly, still wearing the same smile he had been for the past several minutes. “Asking me to do this Sannan-san… Don’t forget that if I didn’t know you were doing it for Kondo-san's benefit, I might have to kill you.” Slipping his sword into its sheath Okita turned and made his way toward the building which housed the Roshigumi’s quarters. 

Once Okita had passed from view Sannan’s smile vanished to be replaced by a concerned frown. Though everything had gone as he planned, especially after the conversation which had just taken place, some part of him could not help but wonder if Hijikata and Kondo’s actions thus far in regards to Okita might not be entirely incorrect despite necessity and Okita’s will to the contrary. 

If he had not been so certain of Okita’s strong desire to lift up Kondo’s reputation and that of the Roshigumi by any means necessary, Sannan wondered if he would have been able to ask what he had of the young man quite so easily. While Sannan himself had already shouldered the burden of helping to refine the ochimizu and guard its secrets, it had still been done largely with a sense of having no other options, despite the serum’s promise. He wondered for a moment just how many more burdens their group would be called on to bear, who those sacrifices would fall on, and what the final number of necessary evils the Roshigumi were forced to embrace would add up to, before reaching their ultimate goal.


	7. Chapter 7

The day of the sumo wrestling demonstration that was being jointly hosted by the Roshigumi and the stable in Osaka had finally arrived. The atmosphere around the Roshigumi’s headquarters had been buzzing with energy and excitement in the days and weeks leading up to it, as the captains and their men made plans and worked to help with the final set up and preparations. The turnout for the event had been excellent, thanks in part to Ibuki’s surprising artistic skills, which had been put to use creating posters that had been distributed around the city as advertisement.

Sannan looked around at the crowd that had gathered as the next match began. Like the other members of the Roshigumi he had been up since early that morning, as the Roshigumi had been given the task of providing security and crowd control for the day. Additionally a few of their members had also been given the responsibility of helping to sell admission to the event, by guiding potential attendees toward the appropriate location to secure their entry. He had yet to see a count of exactly how many sales had been made, but it was clear that the number was likely quite large. 

In addition in seemed that there was also money being made on the side, as while walking around to keep an eye on things he had several times seen money changing hands or overheard mention of the odds on various wrestlers. Though for the most part the betting seemed to be taking place among the civilian attendees, he had once or twice noticed members of the Roshigumi becoming involved as well, as they paused in their duties to observe the matches for a few minutes. Normally he might have more strongly considered putting a stop to it, but decided this time to leave that decision to the captains under which the men in question served. 

_The lower ranked members of the Roshigumi were also not the only ones enjoying watching the matches when they got a chance…_ mused Sannan internally, a small smile curving his lips. As he made his way toward where Hijikata and Kondo stood alternately watching the current match and observing both the crowd and the men, Sannan could distantly hear Nagakura scolding at least one of the other captains, likely Todou-kun based on the tenor of the protests that carried across the courtyard.

“Hey!” said Shinpachi as he came up behind Heisuke and Ibuki, who stood at the edge of the crowd gathered around the sumo ring, peering over the heads of the people in front of them. He reached out to grip a handful of the back of both of the young men’s clothing, dragging them back toward the entrance to the temple where the match was being held. “Quit slackin’ and keep to yer posts!” 

Heisuke twisted in Shinpachi’s grasp, as he reached back to try and free himself while being drug across the cobbled walkway. “It wouldn’t hurt if we watched a little!”

Beside Heisuke Ibuki also cried out, though his protests amounted more to cries of pain at the rough treatment he was receiving and the discomfort of being dragged over the blocks of stone. 

“Please, Shinpat-san!” continued Heisuke as he tried to get his feet under himself while being dragged backward, in hopes of getting enough leverage to break Shinpachi’s hold, or at least be enough of a hassle that the older captain would give in and let him finish watching the match. 

A heavy thud, and the excited shouts and calls of the assembled audience alerted them to the end of the current round. Heisuke slumped backward, giving up his efforts at escape and instead becoming dead weight as he was pulled a few more steps before Shinpachi stopped, letting both he and Ibuki go.

Heisuke got to his feet, propping one hand on his hip in annoyance as he, Ryunosuke, and Shinpachi turned back toward the ring. “Man, I missed the best part!” he groaned, letting his head fall back to roll his eyes skyward as he let his hand fall to his side.

As Heisuke and Ibuki returned to their posts under Nagakura’s watchful eye, Sannan looked over at Hijikata and Kondo. “This has truly been a success, has it not?” he said, feeling a slight smile curve his lips as he continued, once more glancing around to take in the size of the crowd the event had gathered. “It should substantially add to the Roshigumi’s funds.”

Kondo nodded in agreement. He looked equally pleased, and appeared visibly proud of their group’s efforts and just how well everything had come together for the event. “Yeah, but I find seeing everyone happy like this to be what matters most.”

Sannan looked over at Hijikata, watching as the other man smiled slightly in response to Kondo’s words before lowering his chin in a minute nod. A moment later Hijikata glanced toward him, as if having sensed Sannan’s attention focused on him, and they exchanged an approving nod upon catching one another’s eye. 

The event had been a clear success for the Roshigumi, and proved that they were capable of raising funds for themselves without having to resort to the tactics that Serizawa used. Seeing Kondo so pleased with how things had gone only made their success feel like even more of an accomplishment. Additionally since Serizawa had remained uninvolved in the event, it placed more of the recognition for its success on Kondo and his skill at leadership, which was something both he and Hijikata mutually approved of.

As to the sentiment Kondo had expressed, while seeing everyone happy was not unpleasant, it too was only an additional benefit. After having struggled financially for so long, even before they had gotten the idea to enter the Bakufu’s service and travel to Kyoto, it would be nice for once to be able to have enough funds to support themselves for a time and to be able to pay the men without worry. 

A number of hours later the day began to draw to a close as the final matches ended and the crowds began to disperse. The Roshigumi worked alongside the members of the sumo wrestling stable for a time as they began to break down the ring, equipment and festive decorations that had been set up. By the time they finished the sun was just beginning to go down, and they were all left worn from the long day, though their energy remained buoyed by just how well everything had gone. 

“So, that a wrap?” asked Shinpachi as he and the other captains came over to where Hijikata, Sannan, and Kondo stood. He propped his hands on his hips as he glanced around the mostly cleared temple grounds.

Hijikata grunted in response to Shinpachi’s question, his eyes scanning their surroundings as well before he called out to the gathered members of the Roshigumi. “We’re heading back!”

Before any of them could begin their way toward the entrance to the temple, or to where the head of the sumo wrestling stable stood overseeing the remainder of the clean-up, they were stopped by the sound of running footsteps approaching as a voice called out.

“Vice Commander!” called Yamazaki as he raced across the temple grounds to where the members of the Roshigumi had gathered. Sounding slightly winded Yamazaki slowed as he got closer, coming to a stop in front of Hijikata. “I wish to report something immediately.” 

Leaning forward Yamazaki lowered his voice until it was nearly inaudible as he informed Hijikata of a rumor that had been reported to them regarding one of the local merchants, and the actions it had prompted Serizawa to undertake in response after hearing of it, while Hijikata and the others were occupied with the sumo wrestling demonstration.

Hijikata face paled as he inhaled sharply, his eyes widening. He drew back before glancing at Yamazaki for an instant to confirm that he had heard the younger man correctly. Seeing Yamazaki’s minute nod of confirmation Hijikata’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, and he gritted his teeth as he attempted to bring his annoyance at Serizawa back under a measure of control, before barking out his next order. “Hey, guys! We’re going!” 

“There’s a problem?” asked Okita from behind Hijikata, causing Hijikata to glance back at him for a moment before looking around to make sure that there was no one close enough to overhear what he was about to say.

Hijikata’s brows drew together in a tense frown. “Serizawa-san has pulled another one of his stunts.” 

Several of the captains voiced startled exclamations before Sannan stepped toward Hijikata, wearing an equally concerned expression. “What has Serizawa-san done, Hijikata-kun?” 

“…According to Yamazaki, after hearing about a merchant in town that might have traded with foreigners, Serizawa-san went to confront him. Things got heated, and Serizawa-san had just started resorting to threats when Yamazaki left to come find us.” said Hijikata, letting out a harsh sigh.

“Then we mustn’t waste time here Hijikata-kun.” said Sannan, his frown deepening. If Serizawa had already begun to threaten the merchant in order to find out what he wanted to know there was little time to act before things began to potentially spiral out of control. “We must go quickly and make sure that the situation is not allowed to get out of hand.” 

Hijikata nodded firmly in agreement. “We still need to collect our share of the money from the day’s proceeds though…” began Hijikata, looking from Sannan to Kondo as he spoke. “Can you and Kondo-san take care of that, Sannan-san?” 

“Of course.” said Sannan nodding, as Kondo-san also spoke up to voice his agreement.

“Go Toshi. …Sannan-kun and I will take care of things here.” said Kondo a hint of a reassuring smile touching the corner of his lips in spite of the concerned furrow in his brow as he nodded firmly.

“Right.” For an instant an answering smile crossed Hijikata’s expression before vanishing as he turned to sweep the Roshigumi captains with a glance. “The rest of you are with me. …Let’s go!” commanded Hijikata as he started down the stone walkway, leaving the captains to fall into line behind him as they marched quickly from the temple.

After Hijikata and the others had gone, Kondo looked over at Sannan, putting on a slight smile. “Well then Sannan-kun,… It looks like it’s up to us to take care of things here, like Toshi asked us.”

Sannan hummed in agreement, nodding slightly as his eyes swept the area briefly before spotting the head of the sumo wrestling stable. Catching Kondo’s eye, he tipped his head slightly to point out the man to Kondo. “I believe that I see the person we must speak with over there.” 

Turning his head to look in the direction Sannan had indicated, Kondo’s brows drew together as he leaned forward to stare across the temple grounds for a few moments before nodding firmly. “Right!” said Kondo as he straightened, and started to lead the way. “…Come on Sannan-kun.” 

The head of the wrestling stable turned as Kondo and Sannan approached him, bowing to the two men as they came to a stop in front of him. When he looked up he smiled as he looked back and forth between them. “Commander Kondo! Vice Commander Sannan! …What did you think of the demonstration today? With the help of your men, I think the event turned out to be a true success.” 

“Yes, I agree!” replied Kondo, putting on a wide smile. “And the performance your wrestlers put on was quite impressive. …It looked as if everyone that attended enjoyed themselves too.” 

“Yes, yes!” agreed the head of the wrestling stable enthusiastically. “The sales were excellent. Even a bit more so than we had anticipated them to be.” The man paused, reigning in his enthusiasm a bit before continuing. “I suppose that must be what you gentlemen want to talk to me about. …Why don’t we have something to drink and celebrate the success of the performance, while we split up the proceeds?” 

As he spoke the head of the wrestling stable gestured toward one of the smaller buildings on the temple grounds, which had been used during the demonstration as a place for the wrestlers to prepare and to rest between matches. With the performance over however the building had been mostly cleared, and only a handful of the stable’s staff and were wrestlers still inside as they finished breaking down and removing their equipment and belongings. 

Kondo looked over at Sannan questioningly, still wearing the smile which he had given the stable owner, in spite of the slight knitting of his brow. “Sannan-kun?” 

Sannan could easily tell from Kondo’s expression that he was concerned about Hijikata, and about how the situation with Serizawa might be going. However, after all the work that Hijikata and Kondo both had put into this event it would be senseless to hurry off now as doing so would only serve to make them appear ill-mannered. Inclining his head in a slight nod to Kondo, Sannan put on a pleasant smile as he turned toward the head of the wrestling stable. “We would be pleased to accept your generous offer.” 

“Excellent!” said the head of the sumo wrestling stable as he bowed and nodded, then turned to the lead the way toward the building he had indicated. 

Inside the building they wove their way through the clusters of activity, following the head of the stable who called out to greet various wrestlers as well as instructions for one of the staff members to bring some sake to one of the rooms near the back. As they entered the room and seated themselves, the stable head looked back and forth between Kondo and Sannan for a moment before focusing his attention on Kondo. 

“If I may ask, where is Vice Commander Hijikata, Commander Kondo?” asked the man raising his eyebrows as he spoke.

Kondo rubbed the back of his head, putting on a sheepish and faintly apologetic smile. “Ah,… I’m afraid that there was another task that he had to take care of.” 

“That’s too bad.” said the head of the wrestling stable as poured them each a cup of sake once it was brought before settling back down and picking up his cup. “…After all the time and work he’d put into this collaboration after suggesting it, I’d hoped that he would have been able to join us to celebrate as well.”

“Unfortunately, it couldn’t be helped.” agreed Kondo nodding. 

Sannan allowed a slight smile to touch his lips as his lowered his chin in a singular nod. “Perhaps if our groups were to collaborate again in the future, another opportunity might present itself.” 

The head of the wrestling stable let out a bark of laughter, raising his sake cup in salute to Sannan’s statement, before holding it out as he offered a toast. “Well then,… to our successful collaboration on this occasion,… and to our future endeavors.” 

Voicing their agreement Kondo and Sannan touched their own cups to his for a moment, before sitting back to sip at the sake inside them. As the stable head turned toward Kondo to engage him in conversation Sannan settled in to listen, contributing an occasional comment or remark to the discussion. 

Several hours passed before he and Kondo finally left the head of the sumo wrestling stable and the temple where the demonstration matches had been held behind. It had not escaped Sannan’s notice that Kondo had seemed increasingly distracted and impatient the longer their meeting with the stable head went on, until their portion of the funds from the event had been counted out and delivered. After which Kondo had soon begun to make an effort to wrap things up, stating a need to return to the Roshigumi’s headquarters and the duties and demands of his command. The stable head had seemed taken a bit aback at Kondo’s insistence at leaving so soon afterward, but had accepted Kondo’s explanation in the end, allowing them to depart on friendly terms.

Once they were out of sight of the temple Kondo picked up his pace, so intent on his goal that he nearly forgot to tuck the bag containing the money from the day’s events away out of sight, until Sannan reminded him to do so. As he and Kondo made their way down the streets headed back toward the Roshigumi’s headquarters, Kondo finally admitted out loud to Sannan what had been troubling him.

“I’m worried about Toshi and the situation involving Serizawa-san that Yamazaki-kun came to tell us about…” began Kondo, glancing over at Sannan briefly as they walked quickly down the street. “I want to get back to headquarters and find out what happened.” 

Sannan hummed, nodding in agreement as he kept pace with Kondo. Though Kondo had not stated it both he and Kondo-san were well aware that Serizawa excelled at, and perhaps even found some enjoyment in, provoking Hijikata’s temper. Still despite Hijikata’s tendency to become infuriated by Serizawa’s actions and thwarting of their attempts to reign him in, Hijikata had over time made steps toward becoming somewhat better at maintaining his composure even in the face of Serizawa’s goading. Additionally in this instance, allowing Hijikata to deal with Serizawa while they finished the Roshigumi’s business with the sumo stable’s head seemed to be the most sensible course of action under the circumstance.

“Yamazaki’s demeanor did seem to indicate that there is a need for concern. …However I do not doubt that Hijikata-kun will find a way to manage whatever situation he is confronted with when he and the others reach Serizawa-san’s location.” said Sannan, looking over at Kondo. 

Though he shared Kondo’s concerns, allowing Kondo’s worry for Hijikata to become too intense before they even had knowledge of what had occurred would only serve to divert Kondo’s attention from his role as the Roshigumi’s leader. Thankfully his statement seemed to have the desired effect, as the visible worry on Kondo’s features eased a little, though his brow remained knitted and his stride purposeful as they continued on down the street.

Kondo looked back over at Sannan, studying him for a moment, before a faint smile touched his lips for an instant as he nodded. “You’re right Sannan-kun. …I know I can trust Toshi to take care of things.” As they came to a stop just outside the gate to the Maekawa estate, Kondo reached out to rest his hand on Sannan’s shoulder briefly. “Thank you for reminding me.”

Sannan inclined his head in a slight nod, acknowledging both Kondo’s gratitude and their mutual concern for how Hijikata was fairing with Serizawa. Allowing a small smile to curve his lips Sannan lifted his head, glancing toward the interior of the Roshigumi’s headquarters. “Perhaps we shall find that Hijikata-kun and the others have accomplished their task and returned already.”

“Let’s go and find out, shall we?” agreed Kondo nodding once again as he turned to lead the way into the compound. 

Unfortunately contrary to his suggestion, after asking a few of the men that he and Kondo encountered on their way across the courtyard, Sannan learned that neither Hijikata nor Serizawa had yet returned to the Roshigumi’s headquarters. At the news Kondo’s concerned expression resurfaced, and he even suggested the possibility that he should go to find Hijikata and try to see if there was anything he could do to help resolve the situation that Serizawa had caused. Sannan had eventually managed to persuade Kondo that it would be better for them to instead wait for Hijikata to return to headquarters, rather than wander the city and attempt to seek him and the others out, and by doing so risk missing one another in passing which would delay their receiving a report on the situation.

After instructing one of the men who was in the vicinity of the gates to alert them about the return of Hijikata, Serizawa, or any of the captains, the two of them settled in the common room to wait. Several hours passed, during which Kondo’s anxiety only grew as time went by. At one point Sannan had brought tea, as part of his efforts at keeping Kondo’s mind occupied with something besides concern for Hijikata, and they sat sipping the drink until an increase in the volume of voices from the courtyard outside alerted them to Hijikata’s return. Setting his cup of tea aside Kondo had hurriedly gotten to his feet and shoved the shoji door open, he crossed the engawa in two strides before quickly stepping down into the courtyard to make his way toward where Hijikata and the captains were gathered. 

Rising quickly Sannan followed in Kondo’s wake, reaching the others just as the captains began to disperse, as Hijikata ordered them to return to their usual tasks. As Sannan came to a stop a few steps from Kondo and Hijikata, Kondo stepped toward Hijikata, reaching out to grip the other man’s shoulders as he spoke. 

“Toshi, are you all right?” asked Kondo, frowning a bit as he studied Hijikata intently for any sign of injury or indication as to how things had gone.

In the face of Kondo’s obvious concern, the barely concealed fury in Hijikata’s expression eased somewhat, and he nodded as Kondo’s hands fell from his shoulders. “I’m fine.” 

“What happened, Hijikata-kun?” asked Sannan, noting the anger that lingered in Hijikata’s eyes, along with the odor of smoke that clung to Hijikata’s clothing in amounts that were detectable as he came closer. Traces of soot and ash also dotted Hijikata’s kimono suggesting that whatever had gone on, a large fire had been involved.

Hijikata glanced over at Sannan for a moment, before sighing and closing his eyes as he brought one hand up to massage the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “...For now, let’s just go inside. I’ll tell you about everything that happened once we’re in there.” 

Once Hijikata had washed up and changed clothing, he rejoined Sannan and Kondo, who had by then arranged for fresh tea to be made and had it brought to Kondo’s quarters. After Hijikata had seated himself he took the steaming cup of tea that was handed to him by Kondo. He sipped at it for a few minutes before lowering the cup with a sigh as Sannan once again inquired about what had happened with Serizawa.

Hijikata’s frown deepened as he set aside his cup of tea entirely, folding his arms across his chest before speaking. “We didn’t get there fast enough to stop him from carrying out his threats. By the time we’d arrived Serizawa-san had already set the place on fire.” 

Sannan’s lips thinned in response to Hijikata’s statement, and he heard Kondo voice a startled exclamation, as he turned his thoughts toward the possible outcomes of Serizawa’s actions. As if the Roshigumi’s reputation had not been poor enough already, even with the slight goodwill they might have gained from the day’s sumo exhibition, this would doubtless undo what little good may have been done and possibly make their reputation even worse than it had been. Looking back at Hijikata, Sannan leaned forward slightly as he spoke intently. “Did Serizawa-san give any explanation for carrying out such an action?” 

“…He claimed that the store’s owner was doing business with foreigners. Serizawa-san also said that the owner’d given money to a group of ronin.” said Hijikata before snorting scornfully as he shook his head. “…Not that there was much to prove any of it with that we’d found. Of course it’s entirely possible that whatever evidence there might have been, had already been burned up in the fire he’d set.” 

“I see.” murmured Sannan as he sat back once more, lowering his gaze to the floor as he considered what Hijikata had said. 

After a moment Hijikata let out a frustrated sounding breath, jarring Sannan from his thoughts. “I’d thought he might have just been upset that the store owner hadn’t agreed to give money to us instead, but Serizawa-san overrode me when I’d started to try to have the men put out the fire. …I’d told Yamazaki to ask around and see what he can find out about Serizawa-san’s claims,… but maybe if I’d followed my instinct and had the fire put out anyway, we’d have some actual proof one way or the other already.” 

Before Sannan had a chance to say anything, Kondo spoke up shaking his head as he spoke earnestly. “No Toshi, it wasn’t your fault. You did the best you could in that situation. …I shouldn’t have left the burden of trying to settle things with Serizawa-san all on you. Maybe if I had gone too, the two of us working together might have been able to persuade him.”

Sannan glanced over at Hijikata, meeting his eyes just in time to share a skeptical look at the idea that any of them would have been able to alter Serizawa’s choice of action. Nevertheless there was little that could be done to alter events which had already occurred, so the best course of action that remained was to gather whatever evidence they could, in order to substantiate Serizawa’s claims. Shifting his focus to include Kondo as well, Sannan brought their attention back to the matter at hand.

“Then it seems that we shall have to wait to see what Yamazaki-kun is able to uncover.” began Sannan, hesitating for a moment as he debated over what he had planned to say next, before deciding to continue with his statement. “In the meantime, I believe that I know of another source of information which I may be able to utilize.” 

Sannan saw curiosity flare in Hijikata’s eyes as his brows drew together in a slight frown. Thankfully before Hijikata was able to begin questioning him about his source, Kondo spoke up, nodding his acceptance of Sannan’s suggestion.

“Please inform us of anything that you’re able to learn Sannan-kun.” said Kondo as he looked across the short distance to where Sannan sat. 

Inclining his head in a nod of agreement, Sannan began to rise from where he was seated. “…In that case, if you will excuse me, I will proceed with my attempt to gather information.” 

As he stepped outside the room after receiving Kondo’s dismissal, Sannan slid the door closed behind him, before glancing toward the sky. He noted that it was now well into the evening, which was perfectly suitable for his purposes, as it would ultimately make things less complicated given who he intended to consult.

Once he arrived in Shimabara Sannan had made a request for Takumi-san to be sent for, only to be informed that she was already present at the ochaya, but currently occupied with another customer. After agreeing to wait until she was free, Sannan was shown to an unoccupied room, where he settled into further contemplation of what Hijikata had told he and Kondo earlier. Sometime later a soft knock at the door pulled Sannan from his thoughts and he looked up, calling out to grant the person on the other side of it permission to enter.

“Good evening Sannan-han.” said Kumiko, a slight smile touching her lips as she bowed her head slightly before moving into the room. Turning, she slid the door closed then looked back to Sannan once more as she continued. “…It has been some time since you last requested my presence. …Though I suppose it is not unexpected, as I have of course heard news of some of the Roshigumi’s activities in the interval.” 

Sannan’s brows drew together in a slight frown in response to Kumiko’s statement. _…Could she have already heard about Serizawa’s actions that day?_ wondered Sannan as he studied her intently. _Or was it simply the activity generated by the routine patrols of Roshigumi around the city to which she was referring? Or perhaps even the jointly hosted event of the sumo wrestling matches…_

“My apologies, I’m afraid that my duties have kept me otherwise occupied of late.” said Sannan deciding to assume that she was referring to one of the latter, less provocative actions of the Roshigumi, as he tilted his upper body forward to bow briefly. 

Kumiko’s light chuckle caused Sannan to look back up at her as she shook her head. “Please, you have no need to offer an apology Sannan-han. …Though I did not have the opportunity to attend I have already heard much about the day’s sumo demonstration.” 

Sannan felt a slight smile curve his lips in response to the one that Kumiko wore. “Then it would seem that the event must truly have been a success, for it to have become a topic of conversation.” After a moment however Sannan sobered as he recalled the purpose behind his having requested to meet with Takumi-san. “…However I’m afraid that it is not connected to the purpose of my visit to Shimabara this evening.” 

“I see.” murmured Kumiko, her eyes lowering as she pursed her lips slightly, before a quiet knock on the door caused her to look back up. Moving back toward the door she opened it, speaking for a moment with the woman outside before carrying in the tray of tea that had been brought. Setting the tea tray down beside her Kumiko poured a cup of tea for Sannan, then herself, finally looking back at Sannan as she returned to where she had been seated across from him. “Then,… what was it that you wanted to see me about, Sannan-han?” 

As he sipped the tea he had been given, Sannan’s brow furrowed minutely at Kumiko’s initial reaction, wondering just what she might have said had they not been interrupted. After a moment he lowered his cup, dismissing his vague curiosity in favor of continuing on to the subject at hand. “I recall that you said once that your patron is a merchant.” 

Kumiko went still for a moment, then slowly nodded her eyes sharpening as she studied him intently. “…Yes, that is true. …What of it?” 

“Would he perhaps have ever mentioned anything about any of the other merchants or store owners in Kyoto? Such as whom they might have had dealings with?” asked Sannan watching Kumiko closely as he spoke while leaning forward slightly, with his hands resting on his thighs, after having set aside his cup. 

“…My patron has connections with a number of store owners in the city, of course.” replied Kumiko after a brief hesitation, still sounding rather reticent as she spoke. “What is this about Sannan-han?” 

Sannan sat back, glancing away from Kumiko slightly as he debated on just how much of the incident involving Serizawa and the Yamato Store’s owner he should reveal. Sighing quietly, Sannan decided that he would likely have to confide in Takumi-san to at least some degree if he hoped to obtain any information. Turning his attention back toward the woman seated across from him, Sannan began telling her about the confrontation that had taken place earlier in the day. 

As he recounted what Hijikata had told him, Sannan noted that she appeared to be listening very attentively, as if attempting to absorb every detail of the information she was being given. After he had finished, Sannan fell silent for a minute or two before once again pressing Kumiko for any information she could provide. “…So, has your patron ever mentioned any of the people with whom the Yamato Store might have dealt, or have you perhaps overheard something about their having connections to foreign traders?” 

Kumiko frowned as she looked down, spending a number of minutes going back over her memories of past conversations and rumors she might have overheard. “I’m… not certain.” she finally said, her brow still knitted as she lifted her gaze. “I don’t think I recall anything specific, though I feel that there probably have been rumors of at least one or two store owners who were suspected of having foreign connections.” 

“I see.” murmured Sannan, a faint frown forming on his face as well. 

The thought occurred to him, that perhaps if Takumi-san were to ask questions about the matter of her patron more directly, it might be possible for the Roshigumi to learn the truth of Serizawa’s accusations more easily. At the very least, the corroboration of an additional source beyond whatever Yamazaki was able to find out, would allow them to make certain of the truth. However, discretion was highly prized between a geisha and their clientele, and Sannan was uncertain if Takumi-san would be willing to supply the information to him and the Roshigumi, even if she were able to obtain it. Still, the possibility of making use of her already formed connections with the merchants and shop owners of Kyoto in order to gather information was far too advantageous to pass up. 

“Would it be possible for you to ask your patron specifically about the Yamato’s, to find out he might know anything?” asked Sannan ignoring the faint, startled exclamation that fell from Kumiko’s lips, to lean forward intently as he continued. “Preferably before tomorrow, or by morning at the latest?” 

“Sannan-han…” began Kumiko before pausing as she pressed her lips into a thin line, frowning. “…I don’t know-…”

“It would be very helpful.” said Sannan, allowing a minute trace of an encouraging smile to cross his lips, even as his brow knitted. “We simply want to find out the truth, so that we will be able to determine if there was any validity to what Serizawa-san claimed.”

Kumiko sighed, her eyes falling closed as she clasped her hands in her lap. “I need to think. …Prying into my patron’s affairs, for the benefit of the Roshigumi, is no small matter.” 

Sannan hummed quietly, inclining his head in a nod. “I understand. But we-… I, would appreciate your assistance.” He replied, causing Kumiko to reopen her eyes briefly, studying him intently for a moment or two.

After a number of minutes Kumiko rose with a resolute expression and went over to the door, opening it to speak briefly to someone on the other side. A short time later a small writing desk was brought in and Kumiko seated herself in front of it removing a brush, ink stone, and several sheets of paper from its drawers before beginning to write.

While Sannan had waited for Kumiko to come to a decision he had felt her gaze on him several times, as if she had continued her study of him when she felt that he wasn’t watching, and now as she wrote he studied her in return. Sannan was intrigued by the way her expression shifted, making is almost seem that she was putting on the mask of a different persona than the one she usually presented to him, when she began writing after a moment’s thought. He found that couldn’t help wanting to take the opportunity while her attention was elsewhere to observe the change, which somehow caused her to appear more demure and less knowing than he had before seen. 

Realizing that he had begun frowning slightly, Sannan diverted his attention away from watching Takumi-san as and toward watching her brush move over the paper instead, as he pushed away the odd feeling that had started to grow within him at the thought of Takumi-san and her patron. As Sannan had expected Takumi-san’s brush moved in graceful strokes while she composed the letter, which he assumed was to her patron, the end of the brush lifting slightly once or twice more when she paused for thought before finishing. After carefully blotting the paper Kumiko folded and sealed it, then stood. Going to the door she handed the letter to someone outside, murmuring a few instructions to them. Returning to where she had originally been seated across from Sannan, Kumiko lowered herself gracefully to the floor. To the best of Sannan’s ability to discern, she no longer bore any hint of the persona she had worn only moments earlier as she reached for her teacup.

“I have sent a message to my patron, as you asked Sannan-han. … But it will take some time for a reply to arrive, even if he does answer immediately. I do not think that an answer will come tonight.” said Kumiko before sipping at her tea, after Sannan had lowered his own cup to refocus his attention on her. 

Sannan nodded in understanding. “In that case, would it be possible for you to send someone to bring a letter with the details of the response to the Roshigumi’s headquarters, when you do receive a reply?” 

Kumiko thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, I believe so.”

“Thank you.” said Sannan, allowing a faint smile to cross his lips for a moment as he inclined his head. 

Sannan had thought for some time that having an informant within Shimabara could prove useful, especially as he had already been able to consult with Takumi-san to obtain information in the past. Now that she had shown that she was willing to also take advantage of her connections for the benefit of the Roshigumi, and he had come to know her well enough to determine her trustworthiness, perhaps it was time that he proposed a more definite arrangement between them. 

“…Also in the future, if you should happen to hear of anything that might be of interest to us, it would be appreciated if you were to pass that news along when possible.” Sannan said, after they had sat in silence for a little while drinking their tea. 

Kumiko’s brow knitted in a slight frown as she looked at Sannan, studying him for a few moments before speaking. “In other words,… you wish for me to become a spy for the Roshigumi, here within Shimabara.” 

“Yes. …Since Shimabara acts as a hub for the news and gossip of the city, having a source within its confines could provide us with information that could prove vital to our cause.” said Sannan nodding as he set his teacup aside, focusing his attention more fully on Kumiko. “This is actually an idea that I have thought about for some time, and I believe that you would be remarkably well suited to the role, given your intelligence, and observant nature along with your other skills. …Additionally your position as an established member of the community provides you with a trust and connection to the people of Kyoto that I and the other members of the Roshigumi do not possess. Your assistance would be invaluable to us in that regard.” 

Thinking back to the funds that had been raised from the day’s wrestling demonstration, and the slightly better financial state it put the Roshigumi in, he added. “I understand that you may have reservations about the risk of compromising your position. …If you agree, I believe that it may also be possible for a small fee to be arranged. In repayment for any useful information you are able to provide us.” 

The frown Kumiko wore hadn’t diminished as she listened to his proposal, but when Sannan finished rather than voicing an immediate rejection she bent her head in acknowledgement of his words. “I will… consider it, Sannan-han.” 

Realizing that was the most he could expect for now, Sannan nodded in agreement. Eventually by the time he had finished his tea the faint tension in the atmosphere of the room had eased and he and Takumi-san were able to turn their discussion toward other, less arduous subjects for a time before he brought the evening to a close, returning to the Roshigumi’s headquarters. Before he had left Kumiko had assured him she would send a message to him as soon as a letter from her patron arrived, and Sannan had told her that he would attempt to ensure that he was present to receive the message personally in order to keep their communication as discreet as possible.

Sannan looked toward the gate of the Roshigumi’s headquarters as he stepped out of the room where he had just finished meeting with several of the captains to inform them of their routes for the next several day’s patrols around the city. Over the course of the morning, as he had promised Takumi-san, Sannan had done his best to linger near the entrance of the Maekawa residence despite the occasional curious looks doing so had drawn from the men guarding it. At the moment however rather than taking note of his presence, the men were occupied watching a group of children who were playing in the street outside, a short distance away from the gate. 

This in and of itself was not unusual, as though the Roshigumi occupied a portion of the Yagi estate, the family still dwelt there as well. And the children of the Yagi family would often play with the other children who lived nearby, even in proximity to the portion of the estate that the Roshigumi occupied. Occasionally he and Okita-kun would join in their games, when there weren’t other duties to occupy them, or sometimes in Okita-kun’s case even when there were. 

As he began to cross the courtyard toward the gate Sannan continued to watch the children play, noticing after a few minutes that one of them appeared to be somewhat disengaged from the others, though she continued to linger at the edges of their game. Upon coming closer Sannan suddenly realized that he did in fact recognize the child, in spite of having initially thought that she was unfamiliar to him and perhaps a new playmate of the children. The last time he had seen the girl had been in the company of Takumi-san when she had called in the girl, whose name he recalled was Natsuko, to tell him about the rumors she had heard being discussed in town. 

Making his way over to the gate, Sannan stepped outside which immediately drew the attention of the children who swarmed toward him calling out eagerly. 

“Sannan-san, Sannan-san, come play with us!” called one of the children as he came to a stop a few feet in front of Sannan. 

“Is Souji-san going to come play too?” asked another of the children, peering around Sannan to look toward the gate for a moment before looking back up at him. 

Yet another of the children added their voice to the group, which had by now formed a half circle in front of Sannan. “You can be ‘it’ Sannan-san!” 

Sannan looked down at the children, his brow knitting as he put on a slight smile. “I’m afraid that I have other tasks to attend to today. So I will be unable to join you this time.” 

A small chorus of disappointed groans accompanied the children as they slowly started to disperse and return to their game. Many of them still continued to linger around him however, as one of their number spoke up. “Maybe when you’re done, you can come play with us then?” asked the child, a young girl, hopefully.

Letting out his breath in a soft sound of amusement, Sannan reached out to rest his hand atop the girl’s head as he replied. “Perhaps. …If it is not too late.” 

Seeming satisfied with his answer, she and the other children went to rejoin the others in their game, as Sannan looked up to catch the eye of Takumi-san’s messenger who had been watching him during his exchange with the other children. He held Natsuko’s gaze briefly, then started down the street, and after a moment felt the sensation of being followed by someone who remained a short distance behind him. 

It appeared that whatever lessons the child had received so far in regards to the art of discretion that was needed by a geisha had been well received, or perhaps Takumi-san had simply instructed the girl in regards to the need to be subtle in this instance. As rather than attempt to inquire after him from the guards or seek entry to deliver her message the girl had instead lingered relatively inconspicuously outside until he had appeared. And even now rather than immediately approaching him directly, she had chosen to follow him after only a glance of acknowledgment, instead.

Turning into a small alleyway after going a bit further down the street Sannan stopped, waiting for Natsuko to catch up to him and enter the alley as well, where they would both be out of sight of those near the Roshigumi’s headquarters. 

As Natsuko stepped into the alley Sannan motioned for her to come toward him when she hesitated. “You have a message for me?” he asked.

Natsuko nodded, bowing deeply as she pulled a folded piece of paper from somewhere inside her kimono before holding it out to him when she straightened. 

“Thank you.” said Sannan as he took the letter, offering the girl a reassuring smile. “Please tell your mistress that she has my gratitude and appreciation as well.” 

The girl nodded, bowing once more before turning to go back the way she had come. After she had gone he unfolded the letter, his eyes moving over the elegant handwriting inside as he read its contents, which served to confirm the suspicions that Serizawa-san had offered. 

Later that day he and Hijikata-kun met with the Roshigumi captains in the common room to inform them of what they had learned, and of the additional details that had been added by Takumi-san’s and Yamazaki’s efforts. 

“We would like to report what we learned in regard to yesterday’s incident.” began Hijikata once the captains, along with Yamazaki and Shimada, had assembled and the chatter amongst them had quieted. 

Following Hijikata’s introduction of the reason for having gathered the captains, Sannan continued the explanation, as he and Hijikata had agreed on earlier. 

“Due to making a large profit by trading with foreigners, the Yamato Shop had earned the ire of the Tenchugumi.” A number of the captains reacted minutely at the mention of the other group, their brows knitting as they leaned forward or narrowed their eyes. Sannan paused for a moment to see if any of them would attempt to interject a comment, which would have forced him to speak over them had he done otherwise, before continuing. “As such, the shop owner paid some nationalist ronin to serve as hired guards.” 

“Meaning there was some truth in what Serizawa-san said, eh?” said Shinpachi after Sannan had fallen silent. 

Hijikata’s eyes closed for a moment as he let out his breath in a near sigh. “Honestly, both sides have their points.” 

Sannan glanced sideways at Hijikata, observing the other man’s reaction. After all, in at least one detail the beliefs of their groups were not dissimilar when it came to the subject of foreign influence on the country, though the methods of the Tenchugumi when it came to ensuring a lack of interference were somewhat more extreme than those that Hijikata and Kondo hoped to employ. As Saito began speaking Sannan turned his attention back to the captains, noting the young man’s expression as well as those of the other captains who had turned to look over at him.

“Regardless, all that the people of Kyoto will remember is the fact that the Mibu Roshigumi burnt that building. As things stand, isn’t this simply a repeat of a past offence, Vice Commander?” said Saito, the expression on his face remaining almost perfectly neutral as he spoke, save for the faint furrowing of his brow. The only other break in Saito’s stoic countenance came when he looked toward Hijikata as he finished speaking, his eyes clearly conveying his frustration and displeasure with the situation.

Hijikata’s brow furrowed at Saito’s words, his lips twisting into a bitter smile that reflected his own unhappiness with what had happened. “To hear that coming from you, this must not sit well with you at all.” 

Saito started at Hijikata’s response, his eyes widening for an instant before he lowered his gaze. He bent forward, bowing to Hijikata as he kept his eyes fixed on the floor while speaking. “You have my apologies. I am afraid that I spoke out of line.” 

Before Hijikata could respond, Okita spoke up, looking over at Hijikata from where he sat leaning back against one of the walls. “Hajime-kun is right.” said Okita, his eyes growing colder as he added his next statement. “…That man really is a nuisance.” 

Hijikata frowned slightly at Okita’s comment, though he didn’t voice any disagreement. Looking back at the rest of the captains, Hijikata pressed onward. “At any rate, we’ll have to rake up the merits, no matter how small. …Right now there’s nothing else we can do about it, we need the support of the Aizu, and at this point in time that support comes through Serizawa-san’s connections.” 

Shifting his focus back to Saito Hijikata’s bitter smile returned as he studied the younger man, who looked up after a moment to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry. …As your commanders it should be our job to make sure that you’re not put in a situation where you feel you have to wield your sword while still being conflicted about it.” 

Saito shook his head, managing to meet Hijikata’s eyes for a few moments longer before returning his gaze to the floor as he lowered his head once more. “There is no need for apology Vice Commander.” 

Deciding that the meeting was finished after a few more minutes of discussion, Hijikata dismissed the captains. Sannan watched as the men began to disperse, a minute frown coming over his own features as he thought once more about the trouble that Serizawa continued to cause for them. Though the sumo wrestling demonstration had been a success, the actions that had followed would no doubt undo what little goodwill they had managed to gain, as Saito had noted. The chief problem lay in their need for Serizawa’s connections to Aizu, at least until such time as the group gained enough merits for Aizu to decide to acknowledge the group based on their own achievements. The only other alternative, which Hijikata had not mentioned probably due to its unlikely occurrence, was that of finding some other group with similar standing who would be able to offer the Roshigumi financial support.

Sannan’s lips thinned as his eyes narrowed. _The question was, would that notice on the part of the Aizu, occur in time for them to prevent Serizawa from destroying the Roshigumi’s reputation among the citizens of Kyoto entirely?_

**Author's Note:**

> I can be found on twitter as [ RennarenofAO3, ](https://twitter.com/RennarenofAO3)or on Tumblr also at [RennarenofAO3.](https://rennarenofao3.tumblr.com/)


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